TMNT The Glasses of Life Book 2
by MelancolyHills
Summary: Book two of TGL is here. In this book, the guys meet Mel and a few of her friends who end up being much more helpful then they'd thought.
1. Chapter 1

The Glasses of Life

Chapter 1 Book 2

The girl in the blue baseball cap was supposed to be visiting her mother, but she wasn't old enough to go into the prison without an "adult", and all of her adult friends loathed her mother and vice versa. She was; however, required to attend an interview on her mother's behalf.

"Mrs. Hills, do you believe your mother should be forgiven?"

"No." She had never liked her mother's lawyer, and had the scar on her shoulder as reason.

"Allow me to rephrase the question," he said, obviously annoyed she wasn't doing it the way he'd told her. "Mrs. Hills-"

"I have a name." Mel knew she was probably the only one on earth that liked her name; her, and her Sensei. Her mother's lawyer dismissed her statement, and the police officer watched.

"Do you want your mother back with you?"

"No." The police officer wrote something down. Mel's mother's lawyer glared the way he would when she was younger and unable to defend herself from his desires, but, now that she was stronger than him, the glare only made her want to flip him off. The lawyer was trying to make her seem like a bad person, of that she was certain, but that was why she'd brought Quinn: an 11 year old with a bright smile and one of Mel's closest friends. She also held a baby to her chest, a loud three month old named Johnathan, though she called him "Stone" for reasons unknown to the others. His parents were heavy church goers, and they dumped him on her a lot because they were always so busy. Mel thought they shouldn't have had a baby if they were so busy, but, they paid twenty dollars an hour, so, she kept her mouth shut. The prison wasn't for dangerous women, only those in the wrong place at the wrong time, like her mother, so, they'd reluctantly let her take the children with her.

Her mother's lawyer rolled his eyes, slammed his book shut, and growled, which caused baby Stone to stir. Mel shot him a poisonous glare, mostly for show of the police.

"Do you even love you _mother_?" Mel knew that would make him look short tempered, perfect for her to get out of this place faster: she had to get back before Stone's parents found her hear. Trying to look offended, Mel rose and turned to the officer.

"I'd like to leave now," she said sternly, "I don't want my kids playing in a prison." Honestly if she'd had her way her mother would be serving the year she deserved and Mel would be at home, but no, life just had to make her suffer. The officer seemed to be readying a comeback when Mel's mother's lawyer slammed his books down, which woke Stone, and he began to wail. Mel turned to the lawyer and glared daggers. She'd just put the thing to sleep, goddamn it!

"They're not _your_ kids, you ignorant brat!" Quinn went wide eyed and jumped behind Mel, who suppressed a triumphant smirk and stood firm.

"I'm taking care of them," she said simply, while rocking Stone and trying to look panicked. "And I don't want them trapped here."

"Mr. Small, that is enough!" two guards burst in and held the lawyer back from Mel and her children. "Mrs. Hills, you may go now," said the officer from the corner, and held the door open for her while rubbing his temples. This wasn't the first time an interview ended this way. Mel nodded like she was afraid.

"C'mon, kiddo," she said and led Quinn out. Passing in and out was Mel's favourite part of the prison, because she passed the prisoner cells. It gave her a chance to show compassion in front of Quinn. It was magical, Mel assumed, for the prisoners to see Mel and her children trotting down the hall. One of the prisoners; Arya, found her particularly enchanting. She walked by her cell very slowly.

"Morning, Melancoly," she said with a grin. Mel grinned and returned the hello, stopping until Quinn did the same. Arya had pleaded guilty for her crime of attempted murder, but on her release interview, she'd seen the lawyer make a move on Mel, and had stepped in to stop him. The next day, Mel came to visit Arya, and found out why she tried to kill her wife.

"She wasn't a cheat, but she was everything else," she'd grumbled. "Including a child pornographer." Mel hadn't known how react, until Arya talked about her little boy: Johnny. "I wasn't gonna let her do that to my son." Arya's last name was Stone.

The next prisoner, a thin, tender looking woman, spotted Mel and gave a half-hearted wave. Mel stopped and smiled.

"Sup, Sally," she said. She looked at Quinn, who repeated her greeting in unison. Mel went down the list: Arya, Sally, Torch, Luca, Lyco, Snake (she'd insisted Mel called her that), Verbina, Shawna, Vinny, Zayn, and Clover. When Mel got outside, Wayne, her Sensei, was waiting in his car.

Melancoly Hills was a quiet girl with short black and blue hair, freckles that mimicked pointillism and bright purple eyes. She was physically boy-ish, to say the least- when her mother had gone for an ultrasound, the doctor had been certain she'd have a boy. They'd later found out the reason for that was because Mel was intersex. Mel's usual look consisted of skinny pants and a tank top to sweat in, and either barefoot or her neon orange and blue sneakers, and NEVER leaving out her baseball cap. Mel had a stubborn streak but rarely argued with those she respected, which was to say, her Sensei and her best-friend.

(***)

Once they'd arrived at their co-op, Mel had flown around her house in a frenzy to calm Stone. Finally, she decided he only wanted to be rocked, and was hopelessly grateful when his parent showed up an hour late to get him. They paid her: $60 and $11 extra for being late. Mel didn't pester them about it, and sat in her recliner to count her total profit for the week.

She worked Saturday and Sunday for five hours, and got paid $10 per hour. Add that to her new money, and she'd made $171.00 this week. It wasn't a thousand, but, with the extra $800.00 she'd saved up, it would pay the rent, electricity, internet, and phone services for the next two months. And if all went well, she should still have $50 in penny cash. Mel sighed, left her gloomy home and strode to her Sensei's front year, where he waited with a grin. He was holding two beers, as he often did when Mel had a rough day.

Mel was 19, plenty old enough to drink, but after seeing firsthand what it did to people, she'd vowed never to touch a drop.

"No thanks, Sensei."

"Suit yourself." Mel spent eight hours training. Wayne had to make her stop and rest and once she stopped moving, Mel crashed. She stayed at her Sensei's house that night, and woke feeling restless. She put in her earphones and jogged around her block. She had a feeling… she should do something. As she neared the park by her co-op, the feeling grew, and faded as she left.

(***)

Karai had stopped trying to move Donnie when he went limp. A quick pulse check told her he wasn't dead, but definitely unconscious. She'd gotten him half way up the hill, but they were still soaked and cold from the water in the cattail pit. Karai lay next to her brother, shivering in her droopy T-shirt and shorts. It was colder than they'd anticipated here, almost snowing. There was nothing to help Karai keep Donnie warm.

"Uhg…" Karai gripped his finger and Donnie responded with his good hand. He'd landed on his left side when he'd shielded her, and his arm was useless since, although his leg was nothing but bruised. "Uhm…"

Karai sneezed and shivered. Her hands were paling, and her fingernails were turning blue. She could feel the blood zooming through her veins. Donnie tugged her hand slightly. She turned. His eyes were open into slits, but open nevertheless. She studied his face, then sighed and moved against him; put her arm over his plastron, and hid her face beside his. Donnie wrapped his good arm around her and pulled her to him. Something inside Karai broke and then she was sobbing. She would have been embarrassed, but the only one that could see and hear her was Donnie, and he wasn't any better than she was. Guilt slapped her like Shredder used to, and she pulled herself into him, desperate for contact of any kind, and Donnie didn't stop her.

"I'm sorry… I couldn't do anything to help anyone."

(***)

Leonardo sat quietly in chains. He'd been with The Shredder for almost one week, and had acquired several gashes and bruises from Miles since. Miles came down twice every day, and tried to get Splinter's location out of him. Leonardo never told, of course, only muttered curses and fought. He'd knocked a Foot bot head across the room once. Miles had carved an "M" on his forehead while he struggled afterwards. A mark of ownership, he'd called it, and laughed. Leo had tripped him.

"Good morning, Baby Blue," Miles sneered. Leo ignored him. He felt a quick slash across his swollen cheek, but didn't acknowledge it. Rough fingers gripped his chin and made him look up. Miles' menacing eyes burned his, but Leonardo didn't flinch. His family was safe, his Sensei was safe, his friends were safe; that was all that mattered. Leonardo spat at Miles and he roared in frustration, wiping his face like he'd been hit with mud. Leonardo suppressed a smirk. Miles growled and kicked Leo's bad leg. This time he yelled, but shut up immediately and bit his lip. Miles kicked him again. Leo bit and drew blood, and his lip swelled in his mouth. "It doesn't have to be this way, Leo," Miles purred, as he often did when Leonardo began to show his pain. Miles' grip on his jaw turned to iron and he slammed Leo's head into the wall. He grunted and struggled, then caught himself and went limp again. "If you'd just cooperate, I wouldn't have to hurt you…" Miles ran his thumb up Leonardo's thigh, which made his skin turn cold, and Miles' thumb became scolding sandpaper. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?" his voice was soft, then he slammed Leo against the wall again. "Wouldn't you?!" Leonardo grimaced.

"Go to hell," he croaked. Miles' expression froze, then, to Leonardo's disturbed confusion, he started to laugh.

"I thought you might say that, Baby Blue." _Fuck you_ , Leonardo didn't dare say it. Miles forced his head against the wall. Leo's hands and arms were chained behind his back, and his neck, to the wall. He tensed. Miles laughed again. "You won't wanna do that once we get started." Leo wasn't sure he wanted to know what Miles meant.

Miles pressed his mouth against Leo's. Leo gasped, and Miles pushed his tongue forward. Leo thrashed and managed to knee him in the stomach. Unfortunately it was his bad leg, and Leo winced and slipped to the floor. Miles' grip moved to his neck, and Leo felt him attack again, and he couldn't help but gasp like a fish out of water. He tried to bite him, but Miles squeezed tighter and Leo choked. Miles pushed his tongue into Leo's mouth again, found his tongue, and teased. Leo gagged. Miles let go and Leo took sharp breaths. The chain on his neck wasn't making it any easier, and Leo noticed Miles holding down his legs, not trying to be gentle. Leo struggled, he wouldn't…

Miles dropped down.

"N-no…"

"Oh, yes, Baby Blue."

"S-stop-" Miles grabbed his neck again, and Leonardo panicked; thrashing and growling like an animal. Miles silenced him with his mouth, and Leo wriggled when he touched his lower plastron. He raised his good leg. Miles caught it and held it up. Leo bit his tongue. Miles yelped then leaned into his bad leg. Leo winced and whimpered. Miles' grip loosened and Leonardo could breathe again. He felt Miles stroking him, and the wave of disgraceful pleasure it sent through his nerves. He groaned and Miles took it as encouragement. Leo began to wriggle again. Miles didn't stop, but stuck his pinky finger in his mouth for a while, grinning at Leo. He moved his finger up Leo's thigh, and around his lower plastron, and Leonardo struggled, and Miles moved faster. Against Leonardo's will, his body responded, and Miles stared and grinned in delight.

"Oh, wow, Leo," he half said, half growled, and gripped the organ. "You must really be excited." Leo tried to speak but his throat was dry. Miles' grip tightened and loosened, and Leo felt the area spark with pleasure, and he closed his eyes, pushing out tears. The restraint was against his windpipe, and the chains dug into his wrists, but he'd rather be on fire than let Miles have his way. His body responded again, and Miles laughed and licked up Leo's response.

"Stop it!" Leo felt the wet muscle leave him, but he didn't open his eyes. What was he going to do, the psychopath was, he was really going to do it, what the fuck would he do?!

"Alright, Leo, I'll stop." Leo opened his eyes. Miles hungry tongue hung from his mouth. He was grinning. "If you tell me wear Splinter is." Miles ran his thumb along Leo's thigh and he shuddered. "You tell me wear Splinter, your brothers and your little friends are, and I'll stop. I'll save it for your whore." He pinched Leo's tail. "I only got to give her a taste last time." The kick was unexpected from his bad leg, and caught Miles in the jaw.

"You're sick," Leonardo spat, ignoring the pain. "You're not getting Splinter or the rest of my family, I don't care what you do to me; I won't let you near them!"

"Kinda hard to do when you're chained to the wall," Miles taunted, "Maybe I'll let you watch the first time I fuck her. Would that make you feel bet-" Leo kicked him in the nose. Blood exploded like fireworks and Miles roared and fell backwards. Leo strained against the chains but they cut him. He winced and tried to get up, but Miles was on him instantly and flipped him on his stomach. He knelt on his legs and pushed his face into the ground. Leo struggled to no avail, and he screamed when he felt Miles force his way into him.

"No, no, no-" Miles began to move, in and out, and Leo screamed. "No, no, no!" He thrashed and Miles pushed his head harder into the ground, while the chain cut off his air. Leo felt his hand close around his other part and screamed louder when that too began to move. Leo tried to fight the pleasure, told his brain there was nothing there, but Miles fought back, and eventually he gave in. The feeling crawled up his groin to his stomach to his throat and leap out his mouth in an anguished scream. The wetness he felt in his end and groin told him it was over. He'd done it. He couldn't undo it. And his family was safe, Splinter, Raph, Mikey, Donnie, April, Casey, and Karai; all wonderfully safe. Leo was gasping when the pressure on his legs and head disappeared. Miles threw him onto his back again. He was clutching his bloody nose. _At least there's that_.

"Now if you don't want that again, I'd recommend next time I come down here, you tell me what I want." He glanced over Leo's flushed, sweaty body-goddamn it why did he have to be so hot?-and smiled. "Or don't," he wiped some shame from Leonardo's groin and licked it, "I get what I want either way."

He left.

Leo lay in a shivering ball. He started to whimper. Then he was crying. Then he was sobbing into the empty room which swallowed his voice like Miles had swallowed... he shrieked and pressed his forehead into the cool cement. That-that didn't happen, that couldn't have happened, no one was that sick, no one was that disgusting, it couldn't have happened, couldn't couldn't couldn't didn't didn't _disgusting awful not real not real_

"Dream..." he muttered, "I-I must be dreaming..." he dug his nails into his arms _disgusting sick hurt_ "no, nightmare, this is a nightmare it's not real I have to wake up have to" he cut himself off by hurling himself against the wall. "Wake up wake up" _nightmare_ "it's not-it didn't happen" no one was that sick _awful revolting hurt hurt hurt it hurts_ "it was a dream," he dug his nails into his temples "WAKE UP!" _It hurts, It HURTS._

Leo spared his leg and waist a glance. What a mess. _A real mess._ "It didn't happen." _Your dick's out._ "It-it didn't, it was a nightmare-" _he's fucked up_ "it's not real" _he's sick_ "how could-?" _he's disgusting._ Leo raked his fingernails down his head and stared at himself, limp and ashamed and _disgusting_. He howled. _He's disgusting. **You're** disgusting. _"I-I'm going to be sick-" Leo vomited onto his legs and stomach, too weak and shocked and utterly _crushed_ to move. He did try to, once he was done, but his shaky limbs only smeared the puke all over the floor, all over him, and he threw up again from the motion. A wave of exhaustion washed over him, like he'd been pricked with a tranquilizer dart, and he collapsed into his mess. It reeked of insides and acid and distraught.

 _Disgusting._ "Disgusting," he confirmed.


	2. Chapter 2

The Glasses of Life

Chapter 2 Book 2

Melancoly Hills sipped her tea and tried to shake off the shivers her dream had left behind. She really was working too hard on her story. Leonardo had looked so scared, so stuck, so scarred. _Asyndetic alliteration_. Mel sighed and gulped the last of her tea. _Damn it, Mr. J_.

Mel's Writer's Craft teacher had hammered rhetorical devices into her brain every class, now she could recite them all by heart, and often found herself pointing it out when she or others spoke. She'd met Mr. J in grade nine, when she'd brought a story in and asked her regular English teacher to read it. Her teacher had recommended it to the head of the English department. Soon enough she was in Guidance, and Mr. J had greeted her with her opening line. They'd talked all lunch. He'd recommended Writer's Craft to her as soon as possible. In grade 11, Mel had the class first period, so, she'd gone in with a grade ten education to a grade 12 class, hence why she hadn't known half of the rhetorical devices listed for the test. She still had her first story hidden away with other important things.

 _I wanna fuck the world,_

 _I'm gonna make it hurt,_

 _I stand here all alone,_

 _I'm gonna watch it burn…_

Mel took out one ear bud, stood, and headed outside with the nagging feeling to act on something persistent in her mind. She'd spent the night at her Sensei's house again and he waited on his porch as the sun crept into sight.

"Morning, Melancoly."

"Ohayō, Sensei." Wayne laughed.

"And you said you couldn't speak Japanese."

"Somewhere in Japan; an elder just cringed." Wayne laughed again and Mel began to walk away.

"Mel!" Mel looked up and saw Quinn waving from her window. Mel waved back. "Where are you going?" Mel shrugged. "Can I come?"

"It's seven am." Quinn let her lids droop and she lifted a brow; a quirk she picked up from Mel. "Do you have any homework, chores or illnesses?"

"No, no, and no."

"Then come on down!" Mel waited on the porch, and Quinn appeared in a parka. Mel almost lost it. "Jeez, you're gonna melt in that, take it off and go get a sweater."

"I can't." Parents. Of course.

"Oh boy. Fine."

Mel jogged out of the gate to her co-op with Quinn panting behind her. The wind was pricking her skin but she knew it wouldn't last, once she got going she'd feel like it was summer. Quinn kept horrible pace behind her. Mel waited for her to catch up and made her take the coat off. Quinn kept up fine after. As she passed the park, Mel had the sudden urge to wade through the cattail pit like she used to before she discovered her allergies, and swing upside down like she used to before she became prone to headaches. As she got closer, the urge was crushing her, and she was panting. Quinn ran circles around her, cheerfully taunting her friend. Mel glanced at the cattail pit, then at Quinn. "Wanna go exploring?" Quinn's face lit up and she grinned, showing the gap where one front tooth was missing. The girls moved toward the pit, unaware of another pair of eyes watching them.

(***)

Karai had thought she was hallucinating at first, but as the figures came closer, the music cleared, and Karai could hear it as if she were wearing earbuds:

 _I spoke to God today,_

 _And she said that she's ashamed;_

 _What have I done? What have I become?_

"Hello?" no response, of course, but it had been days since she got here, _days_. "Hello?" Karai realised she was speaking Japanese, and quickly repeated herself in English. "Help, please!"

Mel and Quinn were still. The voice had made Mel's ear perk at first, then Quinn had jumped when it shouted in English. Of course Mel knew both thanks to Wayne, but she hadn't thought anyone else did.

"Hello? Help!" Mel looked at Quinn and swallowed her fear.

"Doumo!" No better time to practice her Japanese. Mel heard a gasp and a jumble of words. She picked out a few:

"Tasukete! Wakarimasu ka? Tasukete!" ' _help, do you understand? Help!_ ' Mel cupped her hands around her mouth.

"Yukkuri hanashite kudasai. Mel desu… uh, 'wait there' wa nihongo de nanto īmasu ka?" ' _Please speak more slowly. My name is Mel… uh, how do you say 'wait there' in Japanese?_ ' Quinn tugged on Mel's sleeve.

"What are you saying?"

"Speak slower and my name, I think."

"… I speak English too, Mel."

"Oh, okay perfect! Uh… are you on the end of the field or in it?" Mel began to walk around the field as she spoke. She gripped her switchblade.

"I got out, but… oh my god, you can hear me!"

"Barely." The voice, Mel thought it sounded female, was quiet like she was in church. Mel saw bodies huddled by the edge of the field. "Yo!" The girl look at her, and Mel froze.

"Oh my god, you can see me!" Whatever the girl was going to say next was drowned out by her sobbing. Quinn rounded the corner and spotted the girl. Her eyes widened.

"Whoa! It's Karai!" she tugged Mel down to the girl, who stopped crying and looked from Mel to Quinn.

"H… how do you know my name?" her voice was troubled and horse. Mel blinked. No way this was the real Karai… she was a TV show for Pete's sake. But her voice, ragged as it was, was spot on, along with the hair, which was very obviously attached to her, even the makeup was right, even though it was messed up beyond hope. Still, she could be a really devoted cosplayer…

"Whoa, and Donnie too!" Mel looked behind 'Karai'. Sure enough, there lay something that could easily pass for Donatello, out cold and scratched like a cat post. Mel moved next to him and felt his forehead, gasping when the cold, bumpy scales grazed her hand.

"Quinn, put your coat on him and go get Sensei." Quinn nodded vigorously and dropped her tiny coat on Donnie's plastron then dashed away. Once she was gone, Mel turned and stared hard at Karai. Her eyes were wide with fear. "Okay, Karai, answer the following: Who's your father, Who's your mother, name all of your brothers, and your best subject." Karai was shaking and breathing hard. She definitely looked right… and, Mel noted, she was practically blue. Mel unzipped her hoodie and wrapped it around Karai, who muttered a thanks under her breath and tugged it around herself. Mel set her pity aside.

"How did you get here?"

"I-th-the Foot… invaded the lair… the Kraang needed the one of pure knowledge, innocence and insight…" Karai looked at Mel with wide eyes. "The only one that can see us in this dimension!"

" _This_ dimension?"

"But, if that's… how did your friend see…?" Mel sighed; for someone who was so good at lying, Mel was shit at telling if someone else was truthful. She brought her attention back to Donnie, and remembered the switch blade hooked to her jeans. She took it out, opened it and grabbed Donnie's limp arm, which made him wince. _Oh good, He's alive. If he bleeds, I'll know he's real…_ Karai gasped.

"I'm not gonna kill him," Mel said abruptly, "I just wanna test something."

"Test what?" Mel sighed and flipped Donnie's arm to expose his wrist.

"If he bleeds." Mel realised too late what that sounded like, and Karai jumped on her. "Jesus Christ, not heavily!"

"Leave him alone!" Karai felt like a really long kitten.

"When was the last time you ate, dude?" Mel threw her off and sliced the first few layers of Donnie's skin. Blood surfaced; no makeup, no gauze, no torn rubber suit. "Oh my god…" she dropped Donnie's arm. "He's real…" something hit the back of her head. Mel turned and caught Karai's next punch and held both of her wrists. "Dude. Just stop."

"Mel!" Mel turned and saw Quinn running back with Wayne. Karai tried to pry her wrists out of Mel's grasp. Wayne looked in between Mel, Karai and Donnie.

"Um…"

"He's real, Sensei," Mel said, "and they need help."

(***)

Sam had been in Dimension X for two months. His birthday had passed, but Sam had long since forgotten when it was. He was 12 and had a scar across his left eye, like his brother, except not at all like his brother. Miles hadn't followed him through the portal like he'd wanted. Sam had wondered, when the portal closed, how the others were doing. Had he distracted Miles enough for them to escape? He hoped to whatever God there may be in Dimension X Miles hadn't gotten Leo. _If Miles did catch Leo and did things to him, I'll kill him_.

Sam leapt into a crystal tree to view the sky. It was purple-y. Almost night. Almost time for Laura. Laura was a tiny fairy that came to visit Sam sometimes. She was a spirit, Sam knew, when she appeared, he saw her body and her aura; a mighty blue with grey and purple and yellow and crimson. She belonged to somebody, but Sam didn't know who. She had red and black stripes along her body and she was usually naked. Sam didn't care, he'd seen too much else to care. Laura liked to do a thing called "flirt", which didn't really bother Sam, but he never did it back.

Sam leaned against the tree and closed his eyes. He reviewed the Kraang script: F was A, P was H, I was I and J depending on the length, M was E… some of the letters weren't even letters, but Sam knew them anyway. A lightning bolt was S, a slanted H was W…

"Lost in thought again, Curly?" Sam opened his eyes. Laura was perched on his knee. He sighed. She liked to poke fun at his hair.

"I'm studying."

"Uh-huh. Figured out a way to get home yet?"

"You asked me that yesterday, and the answer is the same."

"I didn't know 'the same' was an answer." Sam sighed. Laura snickered. "Kraang isn't happy about you, you know." Sam said nothing. "They want you dead."

"They wouldn't be the first."

"Oh yes they would, look at your adorable face!"

"How in the hell am I supposed to do that?" Laura laughed.

"All I'm saying is you better watch yourself, sweet-pea, I don't want to come back and find you missing an arm."

"I miss my Sensei." The words were out before he realised it. Laura nodded like it wasn't weird.

"I would too, if he ever died." Sam snapped his head towards her.

" _You_ have a Sensei?" Laura tilted her head and stared at him. Then, she disappeared.

(***)

She appeared quicker than he could see. Mikey knew he was dreaming when he jumped when she appeared and fell on his butt and didn't feel it. She turned herself and smiled at him.

"Mikey! Long time no see!" he got up and smiled.

"Hey there, Tiny." He didn't move his mouth but he dreamt he waved. She put her hands on her naked hips and Mikey blushed.

"My _name's_ Laura," she said with a hint or irritation, "Tiny is my slave name." Mikey assumed she was joking so he laughed. Her voice was like a chipmunk, and Mikey found himself looking forward to hearing it when he dreampt. Laura sighed and tossed a lock of hair behind her shoulder, only to have it fall forward again. "Well, two down. Six to go." Mikey arched a brow.

"What?" Laura glanced at him.

"Keep moving forward."

"Huh?" She disappeared and Mikey screamed and woke himself up. He realised he'd been sweating and lay down again, panting. Dreams had never failed to confuse him.

"Mikey?" Raph's voice made him relax. Raph's hand found his shoulder.

"Dreams are weird," he muttered. Raph's hand tightened in response. Mikey pictured Tiny above him. He realised too late that she'd looked different… her stripes, that's what it was. They were different looking… Mikey closed his eyes and tried to zoom in on Laura's marks… still red and black, but… he gasped, opened his eyes, and sat up. They'd been arrows! That was it, they weren't just stripes, they'd been arrows, and they… they were pointing to his left.


	3. Chapter 3

The Glasses of Life

Chapter 3 Book 2

She dug through the box labeled: "Old Shit That may Come in Handy" and pulled out the sling for Donnie. It had been her mother's when she'd slipped on ice and broken her wrist. Mel had dug it out of the garbage in case she were to need it again.

Donnie was barely conscious when she used her wraps to tighten up his wrist, but he winced when Mel fastened the sling. He groaned a bit when Mel had stacked pillows behind him so he was elevated. She'd used her lucky hulk pillow, the one she always held when she was sick because it always cured her faster. She'd washed it first, of course.

Mel had Quinn laboring in her kitchen to make stew; easy enough, since all Quinn had to do was heat it up, but she wanted to take care of Donnie. Mel had said she wouldn't know how, and she was probably right, but Quinn still wanted to try.

"Quinndelin, how long till we've got the chow?" Quinn giggled at the ridiculous nickname.

"Five minutes."

"Lovely." Quinn pulled her stool to the counter and mounted it, perched on her toes and reached for bowls. She carried them to the other counter and set them in a row. _Beep, beep, beep_. Quinn turned the oven off and lifted the pot off the burner. She poured the stew.

"Mel, I need more hands." Mel appeared at the door and carried two bowls out. Quinn followed with the remaining two. She set them next to Mel's and knelt before them, taking the bowl with snowflakes on it.

"Watch them," Mel said to Quinn and pointed to Karai and Donnie, "I need to get them tea… oh yeah, Donnie doesn't like tea… maybe I have some coffee, one sec." Mel went to her kitchen and opened a cupboard. Quinn stared at the duo in awe. Karai noticed and Quinn looked down abruptly. Even though Mel said Karai was too weak to attack… well, Quinn had seen her deception in TMNT and she wasn't going to be fooled. "Well, I don't have any coffee, but I have some extra Cold FX, so I won't have to make him drink ginseng," Mel said as she approached holding two mugs. She set one in front of Karai and the other, Donnie. "You're welcome," she said while looking at Donnie. She then turned to Karai. "You, you're not so lucky, sorry." Mel turned to Quinn and grinned; "I don't know about you, but I'm enjoying my slow decent into madness!"

The mug was Mel gave Karai was her TMNT mug, the one she never let anyone else touch, Quinn realised.

Karai scanned it then reached for it, as if she expected it to bite her. She lifted it and her hand shook, spilling tea on the table and carpet and Karai's hand. She winced and put the mug down. Mel handed her paper towels. Karai took them and nodded slightly. Quinn glanced at Mel, who was staring at the characters with annalistic eyes.

"Mel?"

"Sup?"

"What are we gonna do?" Mel shrugged, looked back at Karai and Donnie, shrugged again and sighed.

"I guess it's a good thing I dropped out of Western, now I can look after them." Quinn's eyes widened and she felt her heart fall.

"You dropped out of College? How come you didn't tell me?"

"Uh, because it's my business." Karai was staring at Mel. Her face was unreadable, so Quinn ignored it.

"Why'dja do it?"

"Because they're disrespectful and don't care about the stragglers."

"You said that about high school, too."

"No, I said that about a teacher I had in high school. And I said she was lazy, not disrespectful. Also a bit of an ageist." Mel put her ear buds in and nodded as she put a spoonful of stew in her mouth. Karai looked up as if she'd heard something. She looked around the room. Quinn stared until Mel noticed. "What's the matter, Karai?" Karai looked at her. They stared at each other until Karai pointed to her ear. Mel lifted a brow. "My earbud?"

"Take it out." It was the first time she'd spoken since yesterday when they'd found her. Mel shrugged and took out her bud. Karai was quiet for a minute. "Put it… back in."

"'Kay?" Mel put the earbud back in and Karai's eyes widened like they had the first time. "Is it too loud or something?" Doubtful, Mel never let her volume go higher than 14 out of 40 when she was indoors. Karai shook her head.

"I… I can hear it."

"Huma?"

"I can hear it… that's how I knew you were in the park, I heard your music."

"My tunes aren't even on half volume, bro." Karai grimaced at the term 'bro' and shrugged. "Okay, what is my song saying right now?" Karai glanced up then closed her eyes and took a breath.

"'What a beautiful wedding, what a beautiful wedding says a bride's maid to a waiter, yes but what a shame, what a shame the poor groom's bride is a'… uh…" Karai looked at Quinn, who stiffened. "Am I allowed to say that in front of her?"

"Whore," Mel finished the song quote whilst looking at Quinn. "She's heard it at least eight times." Actually, Quinn had heard it three times, but she figured it didn't matter. "Okay then. You can hear the song, how?" Karai shrugged. Mel looked at Quinn, who shrugged.

"I can't hear it."

"Huh." Mel skipped a few songs. She kept her head up so Karai wouldn't notice. Karai's expression perked again.

"Hey, I know that song, that's MyChem; I Don't Love you, right?" Mel nodded.

"'Kay, that's cool. Creepy, but cool." She looked at Quinn. "So Karai's psychic now."

"I'm not psychic; I can hear the song like I'm wearing the headphones. April's the psychic one."

"Yes, I know…" Karai's expression dropped. Mel's perked. "Where is April by the way? And the others? I wanted to meet all of you." Karai's expression turned hateful. Mel shut up and Quinn backed away.

"Okay, that's it, what's going on? How do you know us? I know you're 'The One' and everything-"

"I thought April was 'The One'?"

"See? How did you know that?!"

"It's said in season one," Quinn answered, "in episode 22: _Karai's Vendetta_. That one was great," she said and Mel nodded.

"Oh my lord, Splinter licking Raph: 'bleh and you need to take a bath'!" the girls burst out laughing, but Mel stopped when she remembered Karai. She cleared her throat. "Well, you see… I didn't exactly know you were… uh, how can I put this… real."

(***)

Sam was 15 years old. Years of scaling crystal mountains left him tight with muscle and stone-faced. His fingers and palms were calloused, one fingernail was missing, and his hair had begun to straighten out to where it wasn't an afro. Sam knew the Kraang script by heart now, and could read and write at the level of a normal Kraang, which came in handy when he was hacking their computers. Lucky Donnie had taught him the basics of hacking.

He typed and a schedule appeared on the screen. Sam looked over his shoulder and after confirming he was alone; plugged a Kraang-drive into the computer. Ten seconds later the files were downloaded. Sam retrieved his drive and carved a jagged "K" onto the desk: the Kraang script for P.

A sound like a zipper.

Sam froze.

"It is the one known as Phan-!" Sam threw a Shuriken and the droid sparked and jerked. Sam dashed out of the facility and scaled the crystal tree that lead to his dwelling.

The Kraang had access to slight magic, which Sam could use to conjure a computer like the ones on Earth for about 15 minutes. Sam's dwelling was well hidden, but he knew he'd have to leave eventually; as Laura had said: the Kraang were hot on his trail. They had signs all around Dimension X that read: _Kill the Phantom_ in Kraang script. Sam hadn't chosen the thief name Phantom, but it had stuck over the year. Sam's hood was soundless as his feet, so Kraang didn't have any images of him. The only thing that would be smart to toss would be Tigerclaw's kerchief, the one he'd taken as his Sensei died. But no, Sam would never be rid of such a treasure. A light filled the dwelling.

"Aha!" Sam typed like a mad man and the drive detector popped from its place. Sam inserted the drive. The article appeared and Sam began to read.

"The human brain is a complicated series of emotions and wires… ruled by wants… logically challenged… crying over useless things…" Sam moved his hands in circles as he read. "… How they have survived so long is completely beyond…" Yes, it was the same here as well, more human brain research. That was the fifth article he'd found on the subject. He'd found seven on human psychology. Why the Kraang would be intrigued in human psychology, brainwaves, and- in some cases- culture, Sam didn't know, but he did know it had something to do with a mutated auditory cortex- whatever that was- mutated heart and mutated frontal lobe.

(***)

Leo groaned and tried to shake away exhaustion. What day was it? The mere thought of thinking made his head pound. A few weeks, that was all he needed to know. He'd been in this hell for a few weeks. Although Miles had only… done it, once, he'd come down and... tease, often. He hadn't finished the job, though, not since that first time, at least three days ago. He'd use Leo as a carving canvas sometimes. An M on his forehead which was scabbed over. A scar across his left eye to match Miles' own. Leonardo still couldn't see through that eye.

Miles would usually cut his plastron, rarely would he get creative and carve an M or a heart. He once carved arrows on either side of Leonardo's hips, pointing down… Leo had broken his nose after. _Creek._ Leonardo didn't lift his head and realised too late his mistake.

"Restrain him." Cold metal fingers gripped his arms and legs, pushing and pulling in ways most unpleasant. Leo struggled, too late, and a hand pushed his head against the floor, not being careful of his injured eye. He felt his caress, and Leo began to panic, _not again, not again_! Miles snickered and Leo's struggling became desperate. Miles put his hand on Leo's stomach and rubbed, almost tender. Leo strained against the bots but lack of nourishment had left him vulnerable and weak. He felt Miles stroke his lower plastron and began to thrash.

He heard sparks crackling then a jolt stabbed his side and seized his resistance. "Heh, I told you Baby Blue, I always get what I want."

 _No, no, no_. Leo felt something slick and warm drag up his lower plastron. _No, no, no! I can't_ \- it circled, swished, and Leo felt his body responding. He groaned and tried to ignore, but it only fueled his teased and growing need. He was hard, and it hurt. The wet muscle dragged up his slit, and Leo began to wriggle. Pain and pleasure attacked his groin and tail and he cursed before allowing himself to drop. Miles giggled with delight.

 _Ignore it, ignore it_ \- Miles gripped him and started to pump his hand up and down, whilst fingering his backside. Leo bit his lip. _Don't think about it; don't let it get to you_. He felt Miles enter him and he screamed. He felt like he'd been stretched over a hot, bumpy pole. Miles' laughter echoed and touched him with no hand or fingers. It seeped through his nose, ears, eyes and mouth, expelled through his… Leo screamed and his climax bludgeoned his conscious with guilty pleasure. He was panting and shivering and he felt Miles capture his organ in a wet cavern, and the snake that lived there fondled him.

 _Think about the others; they're safe, they're all okay…_ Leo remembered his last night with Karai. How the pleasure had been just that: pleasure, no because, no explanation. He remembered her tattoos. Most in Japanese, one or two in English. The cherry blossom, the zombie, the password- the thing inside him rubbed against a spot that made him growl. He remembered Karai's body… he'd never seen anything so perfect. She'd smelt like chamomile. She'd tasted like Jasmin with one sugar, and a hint of lemon. Her eyes had lighten up when he'd called her beautiful, her kisses were a little sweeter, but not the sweet that gave him headaches, the sweet he could get drunk from, drink for hours and never get enough. She'd felt like shredded cashmere, covered by scars from life with The Shredder. _Shredder..._

Leo's trance was broken from the sudden pain of Miles pulling out. He gasped but remembered the sound of Karai's voice when she'd whispered his name before the hazy ecstasy had swallowed her, and he sighed instead of screamed. She was safe, that was all that mattered. Miles was saying something, praising Leo for accepting his desires or whatever. Let him patronise, Karai was safe, his family was safe, even Sam was safe. He felt Miles' lips crush his, and he didn't care, didn't respond, didn't even fight. He wasn't there, he was flying, numb, dead.


	4. Chapter 4

The Glasses of Life

Chapter 4 Book 2

The desire was a spiked ball embedded in his chest. The hopelessness was a black monster, sucking her energy away.

April could see both, but she couldn't follow the trail. Splinter was pretending to be calm, she knew; his desperation was a shadow looming over them, which April couldn't really grippe about. Casey didn't hide his fear- which April found odd but thought it best to ignore. He'd grown his hair to his shoulders, too busy to groom, constantly missing his boyfriend. April wished she had ignored Splinter's commands back in their own dimension and gone to look for her father.

This dimension wasn't as different as Dimension X, but everything was much duller here: dyed gray from the inside. The trees and plant life was plump and fresh, the inhabitancies, however; were hideously fat and greasy. They looked human enough, but their streets were plagued with McDonalds and KFC's, burger wrappers and TV dinner tins, and homeless and snotty people. Houses were made of bricks, but much sturdier than the stone in her dimension. Where she walked people spoke English, some Spanish, and she was fairly sure she heard one couple speaking in French. None could see her, of course. Her powers had dimmed since arriving, but not enough to take her colleagues trail off her mind. It led to a desolate looking co-op surrounded by houses and circling a patch of grass and dirt.

"Let's go here, guys." They'd stopped asking her about her motives after her third mistake. As they approached the co-op, a blue blotch wafted into her line of vision, growing brighter with each step.

(***)

A brown ghostly ribbon drifted across her field. Mel flung her eyes open. She scrambled to her feet and dashed into her shoebox kitchen, throwing herself against the window.

"Mel?" Karai had been talking more since learning of her life as a TV show. Mel dismissed Karai with a wave of her hand and stared hard. Movement, then, out walked a redhead with a yellow shirt. Mel smirked and spun in spontaneous happiness. "What?"

"Now there's three… no, fo-… five down, wow. Five down and three-… two to go." Mel circled to her entrance and slipped into her too-big sweater. Karai had told her she wouldn't be meeting Leo until they got him back from Shredder. "Keep an eye on your brother for a minute." Mel stepped out and strolled across the plaza. Casey noticed, then whispered to April, then they were staring at her. Mel looked to her sides, and once her solitude was confirmed, she smiled and waved at the duo. Their eyes widened. Splinter emerged. Mel turned away and started walking back to her house. She looked over her shoulder, nodded, and kept walking.

"What was that?" Karai asked when Mel came back in. Mel pulled her sleeves up to her elbows and grinned.

"You'll see."

"Mel, we've been over this; I don't like surprises," Karai warned. Mel rolled her eyes.

"Details, details."

April, Casey and Splinter were on her porch. Mel motioned for them to enter and stepped back. They filed in, silent until Karai and Splinter locked eyes. There were three seconds between when they were apart and when they were embracing and sobbing. Mel looked away; having a slight annoyance for watching people cry. She put her other earbud in and reached for her tuke. The snow had been on-going and she didn't want another ear infection.

"Hey." Karai had been deemed second in command when Mel was out and her Sensei was unavailable, so, she looked up. "I'm going to tell my Sensei and Quinn…" she offered a genuine smile before continuing, "don't burn the house down while I'm gone, okay? I know it's a dump, but it's all I have."

(***)

Phantom was 16 years old and had forged his armour out of the trees and ground. He'd found a certain tree that reflected Kraang lasers. He'd cut down the tree and stored as much of it as he could in his satchel in case he ever got home: he could make armour for the turtles and Karai. He still wore his kerchief, and his rusty pocket knife. He'd have to get it cleaned when he returned. He had three fruits, a roasted MAHper (a black and white creature which spoke in subtle 'mahp-mahps' if unthreatened), and six round things which, impossibly, he believed were root potato's. He'd been captured by Kraang once and they'd seen his face, but he'd destroyed most of the proof during his escape. His weapons consisted of his switchblade, blinding powder, his crystal powered blade, and his Gift. Unlike the Foot bots, the Kraang were living, breathing things, so, they had souls, no matter how evil. Now he could see the souls coming, so he could leave before they found him.

He leapt over a raised root. They were coming; he saw the purple, gray, and black haze spreading about the ground. About 12 miles back but they could have a Technodrone or something. Colours together had different meaning sometimes: purple, gray and black (The Three Deadlies) meant a hope for destruction. He sped across the plains and dove into a cave he'd stocked with seven moons worth of food and water. It was the size of an igloo.

Phantom began a chant, summoning a computer so he could read the files he'd swiped. The Kraang wanted to understand human psychology so they could learn the art of hypnosis, or brainwashing. The human brain was apparently the most complex brain in the known universe, but humans have yet to discover as much. They're only capable of using ten percent of their brain, which was why Kraang mutants were so much stronger and smarter than mere humans. But some humans tried to unlock more in their brains, some want more power, others simply want to know. Some humans-mostly younger ones- are perfectly capable of doing so, but are discouraged from such 'childish activities' like speaking to the dead or telekinesis or seeing the future or past. Or seeing aura.

Phantom knew the Kraang wanted the few working to perfect their abilities under their control once they were ready, it was written in plain Kraang script on every paper he'd read. There were three powerful ones together in a faraway dimension; The one of Pure Innocence, The one of Pure Knowledge, and The one of Pure Insight. They were warriors, but Phantom didn't know what of. There were categories, but too many to choose from: Foreseers, Givers, Takers, Giver-Takers, Touchers, Sensors, Voices, Listeners, Thinkers, Protectors, Pranksters and Healers. Sometimes they had more than one Gift. The most Kraang had seen was six, and that was with Kennedy.

Phantom sighed when the Kraang didn't see him. He'd learned to use his aura as cloaking, thinking: _no aura_ , and he and whatever he wanted would disappear. However it was a new experience for him, so he used it sparingly when in combat. The computer faded and Phantom sighed and leaned against the cave. Hopefully the three beings kept working with their Gifts until he or the guys got to them… wherever they were.

(***)

"There," Mikey said and swiped the box. He and Raph flew from the pizza shop and ducked into the alley. Raph rolled his eyes at his grinning brother.

"You and your pizza," he murmured.

"Wh-what? Nom nom…" Mikey gagged himself with slices. "I can't hear you; my ears are too clogged with deliciousness, nom nom…" Raph smirked and grabbed a slice of his own and began to gnaw on it. When he glanced at his brother, Mikey's head hung and he was chewing very slowly.

"Hey, what's up?" Mikey looked at Raph with glossy eyes.

"… We just stole. We're thieves…" Mikey wiped his eyes. "What would Leo say?" Raph moved beside Mikey and put his arm around him.

"He'd say we did what we had to do."


	5. Chapter 5

The Glasses of Life

Chapter 5 Book 2

Mel knew it would happen eventually, but it hadn't felt right. She'd thought it would have but it didn't, even with two out of the three people she cared about most with her. She'd never had a Christmas without her mother; even though she'd always end up passed out, only waking to bitch at Mel or get more wine, they had a place in Mel's heart. Not a special place, but a place.

"Hold the top, Mel; I think I've got it."

"Okay Sensei." Wayne twisted the tree top onto the middle. It stayed when he let go.

"Alright. Try now." Mel knelt at the plug and stuck it in the outlet. Her Christmas tree flickered to life. "Beaut'" Wayne said. Donnie and Karai stared with sad eyes and Splinter's clouded with memory.

"Thanks for helping me, Sensei." Karai's eyes drifted down. _That's it; I need to cheer her up_.

"No problem, Grasshopper. Do you want a ride to work?" The blizzard had hit without warning but Mel's job was only a five minute walk.

"No, thanks- I mean; arigatō, hehe." Wayne chuckled and pat Mel on the head. Stone began to cry. Mel groaned and went to his crib. "What do you want, Stone?" the infant screeched in response. Mel and Splinter winced at the noise. "Well," Mel began, lifting him, "that was a little unresponsive. Let's see what auntie Mel can do…" Mel shuffled through the bag his parents left and took out a bottle. She turned to her friends. "Anyone here know how to mix formula?" Karai arched a brow but April spoke:

"You're looking after a baby and you don't know how to mix formula?"

"Not with this new-fangled- whatchamacallit," Mel said, and lifted the new bottle mixer out of the bag.

"Oh! I know that! We used that for CMac!" Quinn said. CMac was her little brother, Cameron Macintosh. Mel grinned.

"Oh, good! You saved mine and Stone's ass, Quinn." Quinn giggled and hopped off the couch and took the machine to Mel's kitchen.

"Do you realise what you just did?" Mel looked at Splinter over her shoulder and shrugged.

"Saved a starving baby?" a face palm from Karai told Mel she shouldn't have said that. Splinter stood and Karai's eyes widened. Mel didn't bat an eye; Splinter was Splinter, he wouldn't yell at her while she was holding a baby.

"You just swore in front of a child." Mel lifted a brow.

"Stone doesn't understand me, du-… Splinter." She assumed Splinter wouldn't take kindly to being called 'dude'. Splinter's expression hardened.

"No, Quinn." He pointed to Mel's kitchen. She shrugged.

"What about her?" Splinter's face morphed into anger, less intense than the look she'd seen in season one when he'd first fought Shredder.

"You _swore_. Right in front of her!"

"I know; I was there."

"Mel, don't be a pain," Wayne said and shook his head.

"But Senseiiiii," she whined. Wayne offered her a gentle smile but his eyes held sincerity. Mel sighed. "Fine." She turned back to Splinter. "She's 11 years old, she'll hear the word eventually. Besides, it's just a word."

"What if she repeats it at school? What if she says it to her parents?"

"Oh god," Mel groaned and slapped her forehead.

"How do you know she won't do that?"

"Because she's not stupid," Mel and Quinn said in unison. Quinn handed her the bottle. Mel grinned and ruffled Quinn's auburn curls. "Exactly; you're not stupid," Mel said, and offered Stone the bottle. He wailed and pushed it away. Mel sighed and handed it back to Quinn. "Fridge," she muttered. She then put Stone on a change towel his parents brought and grabbed a bag of diapers. "Y'all may wanna leave the room." She undid his onesie and ripped open his diaper. The stench hit her like a punch. "Oh, yeah. PU alert."

"Poop! Poop! Poop!" Quinn shouted in the background, mimicking a siren. Mel smirked.

"Hey, Caption Poop-Whoop, check the bag for some baby powder." As she cleaned Stone, Mel saw Karai watching her: her lids so heavy she could barely keep her eyes up, her complexion still a pale blue. She was wearing Mel's old yellow sweat pants and a T-shirt she hadn't looked at in years. She'd given her some fuzzy socks and gone underwear shopping, knowing just how crazy her situation was, but enjoying it nonetheless.

Mel noticed Donnie staring as well. His arm was healing nicely (according to him) but Mel wanted him to keep her wrap on for a few more weeks. It was his flu she was worried about; however. Mel was a psychologist not a doctor… well, she'd been studying psychology, but her teacher hadn't been up for the challenge of teaching her. Hence why she'd dropped out of the College. Donnie's flu consisted of congestion, aches, and nausea, which wasn't helping her when she tried to feed him… _I have gone off my rocker_.

Mel let the TMNT theme song run through her mind. "Doo-da, doo-da, doo, da-doo-da…" she hummed under her breath as she worked. Her phone vibrated in her pocket. "Da-da-da-da-dun-da, da-da-dun…" She finished with Stone and he gurgled at her when she put him back in his crib and left to wash her hands.

 _Ding-dong._

"Ah, perfect timing." Mel packed the materials while humming the theme song and handed them to Stones anxious parents.

"God bless you," the mother said. Mel scoffed in her head. They handed her $60 and left with Stone. Mel closed the door, annoyed-late again-but still humming. Her phone vibrated again. She gasped.

"T-Phones!" They looked at her. She moved her hands frantically "T-Phones, can't you guys call each other on those?! Remember the T-Phones!" They gasped in unison.

"Why didn't we think of that before?" April took out her phone and jabbed at the screen. "Mikey!" she said. Mel's smirked-he'd always been her favourite. "Where are you?... No, I mean the street… that's not helpful."

"No, no, no, it might be," Mel said. "What did he say?" Karai and Donnie glanced at her. April blinked.

"He said he's in a garden."

"What's in the garden?" April lifted a brow and asked Mikey. A pause.

"Park benches. And it's by a street…?"

"Oh! By the 'Welcome to ' sign?" April lifted her brow again and asked Mikey. Her eyes widened and she looked at Mel.

"Yes." Mel grinned.

"I speak Mikey." She turned to her Sensei. "You know the nature lot across from Dollarama and beside the auto place?" He nodded. Mel checked her phone. "I have 30 minutes until Quinn's supposed to be home, and ten minutes to get to work." She turned to Karai. "Be in charge while I'm gone?" Karai nodded. Mel offered her a thumbs-up and a goofy smile then turned to her Sensei. "Can you get Quinn there and back within 30 minutes?" Wayne grinned and nodded.

"But if I don't, it's on you." Mel laughed.

"Fair enough." Mel wrapped herself and Quinn in winter wear and stared at the sullen group of characters. Despite Donnie's illness, she would need to bring pizza for dinner tonight.

(***)

He'd screamed before, but now he only whimpered when Miles came inside him. Leo had lost all will to fight him off; it only ended with him getting hurt _and_ raped. Why suffer through both? Although, sometimes Miles smacked or strangled him just to see him suffer. Leo rarely fought back, only twitched at any touch and cried until it was over. What else could he do?

"Mmm, Leo, I knew you'd love it, just had to…" Miles stroked his length and Leo twitched. "Practice." He squeezed his eyes shut. Miles hauled him up and pushed him against the wall. "I'll be looking forward to our next meeting." His eyes, his touch, his mouth was hungry, and it groped Leo shamelessly for satisfaction. Miles forced his tongue into Leo's mouth and he sobbed and let him. Miles pulled away and caressed his bare face, grinned, a shark at a beaten, tortured, hopeless Nemo. He then stood and walked out.

Leo's sobs filled the room, bounced off the walls and returned to him, ensuring he knew how alone he was. He sobbed because it hurt to do so, and he needed a distraction from his heart. He sobbed because the sores were getting bigger, and infected, and no one was going to help him; his family was… somewhere. He'd long forgotten where they were but far away was a decent sum-up. He sobbed because it stunk of old food, vomit and shit down here because he didn't eat, he was sick, and there was no bathroom. He sobbed because… at least his family wasn't going through this. At least they were safe… safer than he was. They were safe…

 _Creeeeeek._

Leo didn't look up. He knew. It was his feeding day. He didn't want to eat; he wanted to die. By the sound of the steps, Xever was bringing the food. Leo opened one eye to a slit and sure enough, metal legs loomed over him. Leo closed his eye again.

"Boy, get up." Leo ignored him. He was expecting to be kicked, but there was no pain, just the sound of the plate hitting the floor and robo legs doing criss-cross applesauce. Leo was motionless for a while. Then he gave up and opened his eyes. Xever sat in front of him, arms crossed, scowling. Fear seized his breath and Leo began to tremble. "Stop that, Leonardo." Something inside him snapped and his sobs racked him like a seizure.

He was stopped by bony fingers gripping his shoulders, digging into the bruises and sores, making his body contort into a broken spasm. Leo stared at the face before him, sobbing, quivering, fading. Xever's expression froze him; for Leo could've sworn his face held compassion. Slowly, he calmed to a gentle tremble, and saw the compassion clearer once his eyes were free of tears. Xever's grip softened. Leo quieted his breathing. Xever released him, and looked away briefly, dragged his arm across his eyes. Leo blinked. "It's a prison. This…" Xever looked at the celling and back at Leo. "I lived through prison. For two years, turtle." Leo blinked again. "… everyday… they did what Miles did everyday… to me." Leo couldn't help but relax a bit. "You've only been here for two months." Leo's eyes widened and he gasped. Two months?! He tried to speak but a sound like a creaky floor bored came out. Leo arched a brow; put a hand to his throat. Pain seized him and he winced and yanked his hand away. "It looks worse than it feels." Leo glared in annoyance at Xever.

Xever sighed and pushed the food towards Leo. Leo's lids drooped and fatigue washed over him. Or was it dizziness? "You should eat. You won't be doing Karai much good if you're dead." Leo lifted a brow. Xever chuckled, then tensed and glanced over his shoulder. He turned back to Leo after a bit and smirked. "You're not good at hiding your crushes, turtle. I see the way you look at her. The way you _looked_ at her. I know that look…" Xever shook his head ruefully. Leo scooped up some of what he hopped was mashed potatoes and took a tentative nip. Xever glanced at him again. Smirked, but with sympathy. Leo swallowed and it set his throat ablaze.

"Her name was Soraya… she was 11 years my junior. She'd been in an accident which coast her an arm… you know, she looked a bit like Kennedy." Leo lifted a brow. Who was Kennedy? "After my first year, she'd come to visit me…" Xever wiped vigorously at his face. "I lost my former self to the… I-I didn't remember any of the good times I had with her… I told her I didn't wish to see her again. Ever." Leo blinked. "Two months later I found out she'd been pregnant." Leo gulped, remembering his last night with Karai. "She'd given birth to a boy… Lodavico." Leo nearly chuckled but bit his tongue: what a name! "But… she'd died due to birth complications." Leo's heart stopped, the image of Karai, dead from birthing his child… he began to tremble. Xever only smiled ruefully. "I guess you've made part one of my mistake, huh?" Leo averted his eyes and blushed, shoveled more slop into his mouth. "My son is in foster care, I can only see him through Facebook." Silence swallowed the men until Xever sniffled. He and Leo shared a look. "Don't forget about her, turtle. She's willing to love you as you are. Girls like that don't happen very often. Never do something stupid and lose her, understand?"

"Karai…" Xever recoiled, but Leo ignored him. "Karai," he whispered and nodded to himself. He hacked and the force bent him. He looked at his palm. Dark liquid pooled… Leo, for the first time, looked at Xever with fear. His eyes wide, mouth slightly parted and breathing rapidly, trembling: _don't let me die_. Xever stood and nodded in acknowledgment.

"I pity you, turtle." He walked away, turned, "I'll do what I can."


	6. Chapter 6

TMNT The Glasses of Life

Book 2 Chapter Six

The tunes swallowed her until there was nothing left. Her movements were robotic, and her eyes were closed. Her ears were shielded against the motorcycles and trucks zooming by. She wore a TMNT tank top, yoga pants, and her blue baseball cap. She went through the kata slowly, perfecting her from.

Mel could almost be walking on air, breathing peppermint mist, and she was warm like she was wrapped in a blanket. The sky around her was surrounded by clouds of soft pink, yellow and azure. She moved into the transition, and suddenly she was on water. An enchanted forest welcomed her with nature's finest life. The air was pure and filled with tender piano music.

She finished her kata.

She started a new one.

Mel was underwater. The fish, seahorses, squids and dolphins circled her as she moved, and she added some twirls as she went. She switched into a high block. Her arm hit a fish.

Mel snapped herself back to reality to find Karai in front of her, a brow arched and arm held in suspense by Mel's uki. Mel dropped Karai's arm and smiled, popped out her earbuds and turned off her MP3 player.

"Your music woke me up," Karai said. She looked relieved. Mel shrugged. She'd have to get used to no privacy in her music.

"I was clearing my mind."

"At three in the morning?" Mel grinned and shrugged again.

"When meditation calls… plug in your earbuds and do a kata." Mel laughed. "So, that's my story, I'm eager to hear yours." Karai rocked on her heels and averted her eyes. "Hunger calls?" Karai shook her head. "Bathroom's upstairs."

"I'm fine…" Mel snapped her fingers.

"Oh, nightmare. I see what's going on here." When Karai glanced at her, Mel knew she was right. "Am I worthy of talking about it with?" Karai shrugged. "I thought you said you were fine." Karai averted her eyes and griped her arm. Mel sighed. "You'd think after studying psychology I'd be better at this." Finally, Karai laughed. Mel smiled. "There, that's what I'm talking about," she chimed.

Karai's laughter vanished and Mel sighed. Karai sure did stick to her bad moods. "Was it about Leo? Shredder? None of the above?" Karai's grip on her arm tightened. Mel lifted a brow. "I may be 'The One' but I can't read minds." Mel gasped and clapped. "Can I read minds?!" Karai was silent, then, to Mel's horror, Karai dropped to her knees and sobbed.

"Mel, I… I just let them take him…"

"Ooookay, uh, Rai? I'm not good with tears, let's, uh, take deep breaths and… you know, calm blue oceans and… stuff." Mel watched Karai sob for a few minutes until she began to simmer down. Mel knelt beside her and put a hand on Karai's shoulder while she compressed herself like an armadillo. Mel sat cross legged and hummed, mainly for her own amusement. Karai glanced at Mel when she fell silent, only to find her staring back. "… Who are you? I mean, I see you on the show and you're this badass, confident, sexy kunoichi that could kick my sorry ass if I ever crossed you. That girl probably only _read_ about crying. Man, Karai I have never seen you like this… it almost feels sacred, like the naked body of an asexual, or the smile of depression." Karai dragged her arm across her eyes.

"I have emotions," she said, more to herself than anyone. Mel arched a brow.

"Obviously… I just figured you were the type of 'broken inside' that became a cyborg, like me, not an emotional mess." She started humming again. Her voice was a crescendo as the humming progressed; a song Karai knew but couldn't put her finger on.

"Mel?" Karai's voiced recoiled off Mel like a bouncy ball on pavement.

"… and in the naked light I saw, ten thousand people maybe more, people talking without speaking, people hearing without listening…" Mel stopped suddenly, a shake of her head, and looked to Karai. "What just happened?" Karai didn't answer.

The silence that followed was one of the most uncomfortable Mel had ever experienced.

Singing would always be a hobby, nothing more, but certain songs always took Mel to a special place, her special place. No one did anything bad, and no one hated anyone, because everyone understood. There was no yesterday or tomorrow, only today. Lights always shined, and it didn't give Mel a headache. Life had purpose.

"… I saw it."

"Huma?"

"Your place." Mel lifted a brow. Her place? The way she wanted the world to be? Through her song? A normal person would question Karai, but, Mel supposed stranger things had happened. She'd save her questions for when the _Loonatics Unleashed_ appeared in her backyard, because life was apparently deteriorating as she breathed, might as well meet all her fictional idols before the inevitable death of everything. "It's beautiful." Mel smiled ruefully.

"This world could be too if people would just listen to me. Well, us. Millennials." Mel felt all the words she'd held back claw their way up. "They think the reason I want marijuana to be legal is so I can get high all the time." Karai hugged her knees to her chest, starred at Mel's Christmas tree, and questioned Mel's reason to pronounce the "j" in "marijuana".

"'They'?"

"Every adult I've ever talked to about it. Well, except my Sensei. Actually, he's the one who convinced me it'd be good. He told me about this little girl with, like, severe epilepsy or something, Charlotte. She could barely eat and drink, had to get like hundreds of needles every day, she was on so many pills and they did nothing for her. She had no chance of learning to talk or going to school; her parents considered euthanasia every day. Finally, they went to a sort of; 'black market' doctor, who set them up with some marijuana oil."

"Oil?"

"Yeah, they took the one chemical out of the plant- the part that makes you high- and crushed the rest into oil. All they had to do was rub a little on her chest every day." Karai nodded in acknowledgment.

"Then what?" Mel smiled.

"Within one week, that little girl was walking, talking, eating and breathing like nothing was wrong. She could go to school, and the parents gave the teacher the oil to rub on her chest." Mel's face hardened. "The smell was a dead giveaway. The teacher called the police and the father got arrested for giving illegal drugs to a minor. He spent a year in jail for saving his daughter's life. He was labelled as a sicko who got his kicks from drugging up his kids. Of course, that wasn't true, but he lost custody of his daughter. And the government took her to a sick kid's hospital and put her back on the pills and needles. And do you wanna know what happened to that little girl?" Karai wasn't sure she did. "She spent one year there, dying a little more every day. Finally, she had a wicked seizure. That was the end of her…" Karai realised she was digging her nails into her arms and drawing blood.

"Not exactly what I was hoping to walk into," said a voice. Karai and Mel jumped. Donnie was leaning against Mel's banister with his good arm. Mel put her hand against her heart and exhaled.

"Jeez, Donnie, don't _do_ that!" Donnie smiled and approached the duo, limping.

"What are you two doing up?" Karai knew he was talking to her.

"Well, I _was_ clearing my mind, but _now_ I'm having a _heart attack_." Donnie chuckled. He and Mel had hit it off when Mel had used the word 'facetious' instead of 'sarcastic' while talking to Raph.

"I heard her music…" Karai murmured. Donnie looked confused at first, but then his features relaxed into realisation. So Mel could send Karai music she heard telepathically. Who knew? "Oh! Right," Karai began, "Donatello, I think Mel just… sang me a vision." Donnie arched a brow. So did Mel.

"I did?" Karai nodded.

"You were singing a minute ago, and I saw what you were thinking of."

"Oh, right, my little 'Dream Reality'." Donnie scratched the back of his head, then winced and rubbed.

"Well I… wish I could decipher what that means, but I-"

"It means we have a spiritual connection," Mel said. Donnie and Karai arched a brow.

"How do you know?" Donnie asked.

"You got a better explanation?" Donnie didn't answer. "What else could it be? I mean, I've had this before, with Quinn. I can kinda-sorta give her my thoughts and she can kinda-sorta tell me what I'm thinking when I have music in the background. And Quinn and I; we are tight. So, Karai and I must have something big in common that subconsciously ties us together." Mel smiled at Donnie's baffled expression. "I studied psychology, which lead me into ESP. I've dealt with this stuff before."

 _Vrrrrrt! Vrrrrrt!_

All eyes focused on Mel's phone; a blue eerie ghost in a world of blind peace. Mel picked it up and stared at it. She then growled and got up, heading to her door.

"What's up?" Karai asked.

"I'll be downstairs for the rest of the night, guys. If you know what's good for you, _do not_ come and get me. Wait until I come up." Mel opened her door. Someone stepped inside. Mel closed the door. The person entered the room, heading for the stairs. Karai stared at him.

He had dull brown hair over his eyes and a massive zit on his chin. He wore a black hooded sweater, jeans, and boots. His expression twitched and grimaced as if he were mentally ill. "Wait!" Mel said to him as he headed up stairs. He turned to her. She pointed down her other stairs. " _Down_ stairs, Alec, Quinn's up there." Actually, Splinter and the others were up there. The boy-Alec-arched a brow.

"You're babysitting again?" His voice had a heavy British accent.

"No, we were hanging out." Alec shrugged.

"Whatever." He took off his coat and boots then stumbled downstairs.

"Oh, OH," Karai said; she hadn't thought Mel was that type of girl.

"What?" Donnie whispered. Karai made a cut sign and shook her head as Mel led Alec to the basement. When he was out of sight, Mel shot an apologetic look at Karai and Donnie then followed Alec down stairs.

(***)

Phantom had wandered through the sewers for days until he finally found the lair. It was in shambles, to say the least. Cracks surrounded the living room and rubble littered the floor and counters. Equipment from the lab and dojo was missing. Phantom searched every corner of the lair and sewer surrounding it, not a soul in sight, but at the front of his worries: not a Leo in sight.

(***)

"And, what did you say your name was?" The solider asked.

"Pittacus," Phantom answered. The solider knocked on the Throne Room door. It opened and Phantom followed him inside. The room was tall and blue, with mutants and humans at either side. Rahzar was growling but Phantom had grown immune to such under evolved behavior. They stopped walking and knelt in front of The Shredder.

"Why do you kneel before me, freak?" Shredder barked at Phantom. _Yep; just as grouchy as before_.

"Actually, sir," Phantom began, faking a light Scottish accent, "My name's Pittacus, but I'm easy." Before Shredder could lunge at him, Phantom continued: "I need some form of income and judging by your line of workers-" Phantom glanced at Rahzar and Xever, "I would think my skills would be put to good use here." Shredder considered this.

"What makes you think I need you?" Phantom bowed his head.

"Sir, I see you have many skilled fighters; to which I can contribute-" _thank you, Kennedy the Genius for teaching me how to sound smart,_ "but if I may inquire; how many nurses or medically trained staff do you have on hand?" Phantom had learned to treat injuries in the wild on Dimension X. Shredder flinched slightly but Phantom caught it. "I wouldn't want any of these noble gentlemen to die of an injury that needed a treatment none knew how to perform." _Noble my ass_. Shredder stepped down from his throne and stood before Phantom.

"How old are you, _Pittacus_?" Phantom had lost count at 16, but he knew he was much older.

"Twenty-two," he decided. A strange spark ignited in Phantom's… no, in Sam's belly. He'd never been an adult before… it was fun, in a way.

"Rise," Shredder said. Phantom obeyed, but Sam stood because his legs had gone numb. Shredder leaned into Phantom's face. Phantom was unaffected, but Sam remembered Tigerclaw's words: _if they're in your face, head-butt or spit_. "So, at your age, you must know who I am." Phantom and Sam knew it was a trick; Shredder's story had been hidden like a squirrel hiding his nuts for winter. Phantom shrugged.

"I heard from hallway gossip that you're called 'Shredder'." He was silent and pretended to remember something. "Oh! And you're looking for your child, I think." Shredder went pale behind his mask. "That was something that got me right here, sir," Phantom said, hand over his heart. "See, back when I was 18-" Sam had always been a good story teller, "I had a girlfriend. We were young and stupid, you know, the usual-" at least that was what Kennedy had told him the adults thought, "and she got pregnant." Sam wished he'd gone with a different story. "She didn't want a baby… God, I did, though. Still do but…" Phantom motioned at himself, "we can all safely assume that ain't gonna happen." He could see Shredder loosening up to him. Phantom put on a sincere face. "I would like to say I helped you find your kid, sir."

The door opened behind him. Phantom kept his face neutral but Sam knew who it was and instinctively tightened his stance.

"Well, well, look what we have here." His voice was sand paper against a baby's skin. Phantom turned to face his brother.

"Howdy," he said. Miles flinched and Sam gloried in it; Miles had always hated that greeting. Phantom pretended to be surprised. "Oh, looks like we had the same bad luck, partner." Phantom smiled. Sam was thoroughly enjoying Miles' aggravation.

"What are you; a hillbilly?" Miles asked through clenched teeth. Sam laughed in his head but Phantom decided to lay off.

"Nah, but I lived in Texas for eight years." _A Scottish-Texan accent, why did I go with a Sottish-Texan accent?_ Shredder nodded at this news. "Ya pick up a few things," Phantom said.

"Like rabies?" Miles laughed.

"Like how to shoot a cross-bow while driving a motor cycle whiles a bear's chasing ya." Everyone fell silent. Sam really hoped they wouldn't ask him to demonstrate. At least he knew how to shoot a cross-bow. _Thank you, Tigerclaw_.

"And you said you're a nurse?" Xever inquired. Sam restrained himself from thanking Xever for not killing him back then…

"I was going for my PH.D when I got hit," Phantom said. "I minored in what I like to call 'Body-ology', ways to turn the body into a real fighting machine." Shredder nodded.

"Pittacus, I think you'll be useful to me. Miles will take you to the nurse's office so you can get started." Shredder ignored Miles' offended gasp and pulled Phantom aside. "My daughter… I don't know where she is. But I have someone who does." Sam's heart sank. "Miles has been trying to get him to talk but he won't crack." Sam's heart did. "You have a very… unique aura about you. I think he'll find you easy to open up to. Get him to tell me where my daughter is…" Shredder glanced around then leaned close to Phantom, "…and I'll make it worth your while." Phantom nodded.

"Reckon I'll try, sir."

"Good." Phantom left with Miles. Further down the hall, Miles stopped and pounced on Phantom. Sam realised he was taller than Miles.

"Okay, _Pittacus_ , or whoever you are-" Sam shoved Miles off him and gloried in his strength.

"Whoa, there, partner," Sam said, despite Phantom's warning, "we can talk all civilized, now can't we? No need to hound me, there." There was a graze on Phantom's arm from Miles, who was dressed like a mini Shredder.

"Look, let's get something straight, buddy-you lay off Shred-head, he's my boss, got it? I'm his number one fighter. He likes what I do, and he lets me do what I'm good at."

"I reckon he does, son… Milly, wasn't it?" Phantom hadn't thought Sam's instincts would be this difficult to control. Miles bared his teeth and Sam loved that he wasn't afraid. "Okay, guess not. What's you name again, son?" his slap was a brick to the cheek, but Phantom and Sam had endured worse.

As Miles went for another hit, Phantom thrusted his fingers into Miles' eyes. Miles stumbled backwards and in his moment of weakness, Sam took control of his new body and mind and- with the rage of his former self and the strength of what he'd become- tackled Miles. They clashed into the wall. Sam pressed his forearm against Miles' neck and pushed him against the wall, exactly what Miles had done the first time he'd cornered Sam. But Sam didn't caress his brother; he kneed him as hard as he could. Miles cried out but Sam grabbed his neck and squeezed, causing Miles to utter satisfying gasps and strangled threats. Sam leaned into his brother's face, uncaring of what he might reveal. "This is what you get for doing that," Sam growled- no accents- and elbowed Miles across the face, which gave a satisfying crunch as he fell to his knees. Miles looked up at Phantom, and Sam was pleasantly shocked to see fear in his eyes. Miles wiped blood from the side of his mouth and Sam noticed a scar there, a new one. And another across his nose, rather large. _Way to go, Leo_.

"What the fuck are you?" Sam almost laughed. Here he was, the abused little brother, and he had Miles cowering under his fist. Sam paused, glanced at his beaten brother, and took a breath. Although it was a nice type of power to have, Sam didn't need it; he wasn't here for revenge. Never the less, Leo was _not_ getting abused again.

"I'm just a kid," Sam said, "and you'd better hope I don't catch you doing that to our boy, you hear?" Miles was silent for the rest of the walk, which gave Sam time to slip back into the Pittacus persona. Miles stopped and pointed at a sign that read: _Nurse's Office_ and stomped away. Sam- now back to the calm Casanova; Phantom- strode into the office and was greeted by a gruff hand on his shoulder, and familiar voice.

"What the hell are you doing back here, Sam?"


	7. Chapter 7

TMNT The Glasses of Life

Book 2 Chapter seven

Mel had clambered up the stairs around 7:00am. Karai was playing the Gameboy Mel had left down when Alec arrived. Pokémon Fire Red. Karai had gone through her Pokémon phase during Ruby and Sapphire. Sceptile was the best starter and she would fight anyone that said otherwise.

"Hey," Mel whispered, carrying a tea, "did Alec already leave?"

"Yeah." Alec had left in a rush, hours ago. Mel arched a brow.

"Huh, last time he waited until I got up… actually, he slept till noon then left after saying goodbye. I was up by seven, as usual." Karai closed the Gameboy.

"How many times have you had sex with this boy?" Mel arched a brow at Karai's harsh tone.

"I'd say 'who are you, my mom?', but you're handling this much better than she would." Mel rounded the table and sat next to Karai. "Twice. And don't worry; we slept with Mr. Latex and Mrs. Birth Control… this time." Karai slapped her forehead. "Hey, chill, I'm infertile anyway, and besides, I'm _way_ too active to ever carry a baby. I'd have a miscarriage on the first week with all the punching and kicking I do."

"So you just stress-fuck?!" Mel spat out her tea and laughed like she might die. Karai impatiently waited for her to stop.

"S-sorry, I've never heard you swear before…" Mel grinned. "It's kind of cute!"

"Mel!" She blushed.

Mel grinned cheekily for about three seconds, then her face was stone again. "Hey, I didn't say I liked it." Karai was silent as Mel reached for her tablet and detachable keyboard. "He's stressed and horny. I just help… you know… ever heard the expression fuck away the pain? That's what we do. Well, he does. I'm in pain, I take it out on the bag," Mel said and tilted her thumb towards her Sensei's house. Her tablet shined to life and she smiled. "Well, that, and I write. Fan fiction about you guys, mostly." The reminder was a slap in the face. Mel noticed Karai's expression drop. "What?"

"Leo…"

"Okay, nope, we are not starting that again."

"No, no, I mean, Leo wrote fan fiction too…" Mel blinked. Karai huffed out a sad chuckle. "The dork."

"Really? That's cannon?" Karai looked at Mel like she had feet for ears. "Official," Mel clarified.

"Oh." Karai nodded. Mel turned back to her tablet and typed in her password. A list of questions appeared. Mel filled out the first one. "What's with the 20 Questions?"

"25, actually. And it's a security thing. I got Wayne to install it for me; he invented it so no one would be able to hack our computers. The questions are personalized, too." _Question Seven: What is your favourite dance move?_ Mel typed: THE PELVIC THRUST, BABY! Karai giggled.

"Stoney Terror?" Mel grinned.

"It's called 'Rocky Horror' in this dimension, but, yeah." The questions progressed until Mel answered _Question 25: Complete this quote: "_ is _, _ is a _, but today is a _; that is why it is _ the _."_ Mel typed: "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift; that is why it is called the present." She sighed as her tablet logged in. "Oh Kung-Fu Panda, how I love thee." Mel clicked on the folder icon and opened a document entitled: _TMNT Blind_. She handed it to Karai. "Here, tell me who writes better; me or Blue." Karai stopped breathing. Mel sounded just like her… Karai shook her head and took the tablet-no, she was dead-and placed it on her lap.

' _No one sees colour quite like a blind man. Or, in my case- a blind turtle…_ '

"Hey, Mel…" Donnie floated down the steps and Mel waved. Her wariness spiked when she noticed his expression.

"What is this; Everybody Have a Nightmare Night?" a twitch of his eye told Mel Donnie hadn't had a nightmare.

"Uh… what's up with her?" Donnie pointed at Karai, whose head was buried in Mel's tablet.

"She's reading a masterpiece. What's up with you, Mr. Glum?" Donnie glanced over his shoulder then sat next to Mel, leaning close.

"Splinter overheard you and your boyfriend last night…" Mel growled and slapped her forehead.

"He's _not_ my boyfriend," she hissed, "why do people always assume that we're together if we sleep together? I mean; I know why, but _**WHY**_?!" Donnie gulped.

"Jeez, don't tell Splinter that; he's mad enough as it is." Mel wore a plastic grin.

"So, I've got nothing to lose!" Donnie rubbed his temples.

"Mel, I think you're a good person, but why are you always setting Splinter up to yell at you? I mean, you swore in front of a ten year old-"

"-11 and three quarters, actually. And it was just 'ass', it's another word for donkey for fucks sake. I mean… for Pete's sake." She glanced at Donnie. "Better?"

"… I know it's fun to swear Mel, but please don't do it in front of Splinter. And for God's sake, don't talk about your sex life." She only swatted him but on a broken wrist she may as well have smacked him with a brick. Donnie yelped, which got Karai's attention. Mel was smiling but there was anger behind it.

"Fuck off." Donnie frowned. "What? It's a phrase of endearment."

Donnie rubbed his arm. "And I don't 'swear' because 'it's fun', that's just the way I talk, that's what I grew up hearing. By the time I was nine I could explain the birds and the bees in detail. By the time I graduated Elementary School, I'd broken two fingers, one nose, three wrists and I cracked a teacher's kneecap. Never got caught, either. And I didn't do it for shits and giggles; I broke his fingers because he kept trying to hit me, so I grabbed 'em and twisted 'em a bit too far. I broke her nose because she called me a retard, and I said: 'Maybe you should eat make-up so you can be pretty on the inside, bitch!' then she attacked me. So I defended myself."

"But you taunted her into it," Donnie muttered. Mel arched a brow.

"Oh, I did not realise I said mean things, of course she had no choice but to try and fucking kill me." Donnie frowned.

"You wanted her to attack you so you could hit her."

"Duh. And your point is? She still hit me first." Donnie sighed. "I broke two wrists on accident, and the last in self-defence: she tried to stab me with scissors so I grabbed her wrist and twisted it as far as I could." Mel re-positioned herself. "I shattered my teacher's kneecap because he tried to make a move on me."

"Huh?"

"He was a pervert. Tried to grab my boob so I kicked and ran." Mel sighed. "First my teacher, then Lawyer," she groaned, "damn this sexiness. Gets me in shit everywhere I go." Mel sipped her tea and smiled. "Like your smarts. It either annoys people, or makes them jealous, and it gets you in shit. Well, except for me, it makes me happy because I know what you're talking about." Donnie, after setting aside his strange mixture of annoyance, confusion, and exhaustion, arched a brow.

"Oh really? What's the difference between an acid and a basic?" He really just wanted to shut her up. Mel mimicked his expression.

"Not what I meant, but; acids are a six to zero on the scale, and basics are eight to 14. Seven is neutral. Or something like that… I don't know; I learned this four years ago. I mean stuff like phones not having tape, and the silent W, or the different types of 'there'. Also when you say 'Quanti Amplified', because I just figured out what that means." Mel grinned. "It's like getting an answer right on Jeopardy!" Mischief danced across her face. "But, I bet you don't know who voiced The Looney Tunes." Donnie stared at Mel.

"The looney _what_?"

(***)

The whispers were more intense, happy jabs and taunting laughter threatened his sanity. Death was close, he could smell it on himself; sweat, tears, piss, and rot. A patch on his toe was turning a bruised purple and stung like a bullet wound. _You will die, you are going to die_. His body consisted of puss-filled sores and bruises and rashes. The chains hugged him close to the wall, causing him to hunch in a pretzel. The Keeper hadn't been down yet today. It was almost time. More pain. And more unwanted pleasure.

"Leo?!" Leo didn't react, although he did pause to remind himself that it was his name. Sometimes he forgot. The voice was different, deeper than Keeper but higher than Xever. Large hands grabbed him and Leo panicked and elbowed. _Not again_.

"Sa- Pit, no, don't touch him!" Leo relaxed when he heard Xever. If he was here, that meant Miles was off today. Which only meant it'd be twice as bad tomorrow. But… who was Pit? "He doesn't take kindly to surprise contact."

"I should have guessed." Leo opened his good eye. Another turtle? He was tall and neon green. Yellow curls hugged his hunky features. A scar across his left eye, like Keeper, and now, like Leo. His eyes were pale blue and wide like he was afraid. His plastron was littered with small scars as were his legs and arms. He wore a black cloak and, Leo noticed, a bright blue kerchief. He was covered in small sachets and weapons. He was carrying folded sheets, and Xever had a plate that's contents smelt appetising. "I just…" the turtle sniffled, to Leo's confusion. "I thought he was dead…"

"He'd be better off dead," Xever spat. Leo nodded in agreement. Xever placed the plate at Leo's feet. No meat, as he'd wished. Keeper called himself meat and Leo had lost all desire for the substance since. The turtle placed the sheets next to Leo, who realised he was shivering. Leo stared at the sheets until Xever sighed, opened one, and draped it around him. "Miles has hit his head a few too many times."

The turtle got to his knees and leaned close to Leo. "It's me, it's Sam," he whispered. Leo tried to arch a brow but it aggravated his scar. 'Sam' didn't notice. "I'm gonna help you, don't worry. I'll take you out of here." Leo looked at Xever. He looked sincere. Odd, Leo didn't know a 'Sam', but escape was impossible, he knew. So, he laughed, and then coughed, and then spit out blood. The food's scent made his mouth water, so Leo lifted a piece and nibbled on it, ignoring the crazy turtle and Xever.


	8. Chapter 8

TMNT The Glasses of Life

Book Two Chapter Eight

Mel twisted her key and bumped the door open with her butt. She held three boxes of pizza, two packs of crazy bread, three containers of crazy sauce and a grocery bag containing canola oil and snow peas in one hand, and her guitar in the other. "I'm back," she sang.

"Is that pizza?!" Mel smiled; Mikey never failed to amuse her.

"Y'all seemed a little down lately, so; I brought you a taste of home." She'd invited Quinn over as well, but she'd had to go to a birthday party. Mel took a step but her guitar got caught in the door. "I could use some help." Mikey took the pizza boxes and bread and sauce to the table in front of the couch. Karai took the grocery bag to the kitchen. "Thank-you," Mel muttered and yanked her guitar case forward. She took out her key, closed the door, and locked it. "Dun-dah-duh-dah-dun-duh-duh, dun-duh-duh, dun-duh-duh, dun-dah-dun-dah-duh-dun-duh-dah-dun-dah-dun-dah-duh…" Mel hummed _Hall of the Mountain King_ as she strolled into her kitchen- leaving her guitar under the table.

"Odd," Karai said, holding up the groceries. Mel smiled.

"I read on the website you're not much of a pizza person." Karai nodded, ashamed. "And I'm not much in the mood for pizza tonight either- plus Splinter doesn't think too highly of me right now, so I'm gonna make a Japanese Noodle Salad- I learned to make it in foods class. It shouldn't take more than 30 minutes." Mel winked and slipped her other earbud in. A rock solo blasted Karai's eardrums but she liked it.

(***)

Fading… or was he…? Gone. Darkness. Loud- it was so loud. He felt the rush the tune carried and it made him want to run, but his body wasn't listening. Besides; if he ran, Keeper would make it worse- much worse. It was bad enough already; each thrust was scissors butchering him from the ass up.

Keeper was saying something. Leo ignored him. Sometimes he'd lose consciousness and he wouldn't feel the end- drift until it was over. Leo wished he could drift forever.

(***)

Mel carried the bowls of noodles to Karai and Splinter. "Here you go, Rai, Master Splinter," she said and bowed the way the turtles had on TV. Splinter seemed impressed. Mel rose to retrieve her own plate when a scream pierced her ears. She ripped her earbuds out- fearing her MP3 player was breaking, but it only made the screech louder. Mel slapped her hands against her ears but it didn't help. "Uhg! What the shi-?!"

 _AAAUUUGGGWWWAHHHHHH!_

Pain stabbed her ears and Mel fell to her knees, clamping on her lower lip, drawing blood. Mel had seen things worthy of screams but never any like this. It was the sound of death's blade sinking into a live body and the person being forced to watch themselves die. As their nails were ripped off one by one and their tongue cut out and their eyes gouged out and their arms and legs stomped on until broken and their teeth smashed and pulled out and… "Uhg, fuck!" someone was enduring this because of someone else. On purpose, they were… "Uhg, stop! STOP!"

"Mel, what-?" Karai touched Mel's shoulder and screamed. Her touch left as quickly as it came. The blades sliced through Mel's ears down her face, through her arms and sides, down her hips… the scream grew impossibly louder.

 _GWAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUGGGHHHHHHHHH!_ It was a million snakes biting Mel's mind.

She was screaming to herself more than anyone. More pain, different pain was what she needed. Rusty nails clawed her brain and shredded her ears. Lots of hands were grabbing her now- none of them screamed. Mel forced her eye open and saw a wall. "More pain…" the nails screeched against a glass chalkboard. Mel shook herself free of the hands and rushed headfirst at the wall. The screaming stopped on contact.

Mel lay on her back and took deep breaths. No more screaming… no more, just a dull throb where she'd hit her head. Mel took several breaths until she felt something dripping down her right temple. She touched her head and winced at the uncomfortable tingle; she hadn't meant to crack her head open.

"Oh my god, Mel!" the thought of sitting up made Mel's stomach turn but she did it anyway- forcing herself to breath. Mikey was at her side and the others were quick to follow… except Donnie- she noted. Mel found him next to Karai, who was curled into a shivering, sobbing ball. Splinter was holding her. Mel took a breath and moved onto her knees.

"That was…" she lost her thought. Too many questions and comments, too many… "How did…?" she wanted to ask what the hell that was, why it had been so loud, why the others hadn't heard it, why did it happen when it did, who was screaming, and what sadistic bastard was making them scream like that? "The fuck was that shit?" she muttered and let her sweater slip off. She stood and stumbled to her kitchen, sticking her head in the sink and blasting cold water. "What the fuck, what the fuck…?" she muttered as she cleaned her head. "What the fucking fuck?" she'd read that swearing under pressure helped the brain think. It wasn't wrong so far. "Seriously, what the shit?"

Mel held a rag to her head and fumbled around her medicine cabinet for her bandages and rubbing alcohol. "What the fuck…?" she cradled her supplies and staggered out and put them on the table while she sat. "Jesus Christ…" she was calming down, breathing slower but still rattled. Mel remembered Karai and gasped. "Oh, fucks almighty!" Donnie slapped his forehead. Mel didn't move; she knew if she did she'd vomit or pass out or both, so she stared at the kunoichi from her chair.

She noticed Karai gripping Donnie's finger like a lifeline but she was otherwise dead to those around her. "It's alright, my daughter, you are safe," Splinter said. Karai had no reaction. Mel blinked. When Karai had touched her; she'd screamed and let go… had she heard it too?

"What happened?" Mikey whispered. Mel looked him dead in the eyes.

"That was way past fucked up, dude." She shuddered.

"Leo," Karai uttered. Everyone gasped. "Oh, god…" Karai made eye contact with Mel and the image hit her like a punch. Karai hadn't heard the screaming; she'd seen… _this_.

"Cocks…" Mel couldn't think of a swear word bad enough to counter that. "Fuck, what the shit is this world coming to? What the fuck?!" _I need a tea. Or ten_. Mel slumped and tried to process the thousands of thoughts. Her nightmare; the one she'd had last month…

"Oh, god!" Karai was crying again and Mel didn't try to stop her. She shivered but didn't have the heart for the 'it wasn't your fault' talk. She didn't have the heart for much of anything right now.

Eventually the sobs and tenseness proved too much for her and she stood despite her head swimming in the motion. "I need the bag," she muttered and stumbled outside. The others watched her leave with sullen faces.

Mel dragged the bag out of it's spot and wailed on it until her knuckles were bruised and bloody. Wayne heard her and came outside to watch. Mel sat down once she started seeing double. Wayne sat next to her. "Hey, girl." Mel uttered a response. "Are you okay?"

Mel slumped and hid her head in her lap. "I'm tired."

Wayne wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into him. "I love you, kid." Mel took deep breaths and rubbed her temples. She leaned into Wayne.

"Thanks, dad."

(***)

Phantom had just seen Miles walk out the dungeon; cocky as ever. "Warmed him up, he's so happy: he fell asleep." Miles winked and walked away. Phantom snarled. Sam shuddered. Phantom took a breath and started down the stairs. Odd; there was no sound… Leo was usually sobbing when Phantom arrived, or at least panting. Fear pierced his heart and Phantom began to skip steps on his way down.

"Leo?" he whispered. Normally Leo would groan at the mention of his name. No sound. Phantom took a breath and: "Leo!" his voice cracked. No response. Phantom supressed his panic and dashed; three stairs at a time. He zoomed to Leo and knelt in front of him. "Leo?" Nothing. Phantom placed two fingers on Leo's neck and inner wrist in front of his mouth. No pulse. No breath. "Oh god…" Phantom flipped Leo over and- becoming Sam for a second- screamed. Leo was pale and sickly, covered in sores and half-healed gashes with drool seeping out his mouth. Phantom… Sam glanced east and noticed blood pooling out a very uncomfortable place. Sam screamed again. _No, no! I have to be strong, I can- I can save him! Kennedy taught me…_ Sam remembered- back when he was human- when Kennedy had performed CPR on a child in his class. The parents had tried to sue because she'd cracked the child's ribs but since she was certified; they'd failed. Kenn had later told him the cracked ribs were a sign she'd done it correctly.

"If they're not a baby, push like you're kneading dough, and do it to the beat of _Stayin' Alive_. It most likely will crack their ribs if you're doing it right, but hey, it's better than choking to death, eh?" Phantom was already pushing and humming.

"Come on, Leo, come on, Leo…" _stayin' alive, stayin' alive…_ Leo twitched and opened his eyes. He rolled onto his elbows and dry-heaved. Phantom was breathing deeply but Sam was panting and shaking when the door swung open and footsteps stampeded towards him. "I did it…"

"Pittacus, what is the meaning of all your screaming? Are you injured?" demanded Shredder.

"He could just fix himself; he is a nurse," Miles spat. He had messed-up sex hair.

"Pittacus…" Sam took a shaky breath and Phantom's calm enveloped him. Xever knelt in front of him. "What happened?"

"He…" Phantom pointed to Leo. "He was dead…" Xever's expression dropped. The head nurse- a sweet, plump woman named Fiera- stepped towards Phantom.

"He was what? Dead?" her voice was like the snap of a sugar cane.

"Yes'm." Phantom slipped back into his accent and took another breath. Fiera knelt beside Leo and placed her fingers against his neck. He flinched and tried to move away but only twitched slightly to his left. Fiera gasped.

"He's freezing!" Leo hacked and black seeped from his lips. Fiera gasped again. "Pit, grab the-" Phantom handed her the first aid kit he'd snuck down. "… thanks." Fiera popped it open and dug around.

Phantom took several breaths. He kept his face stone despite the rage in his veins and fear in his heart. Leo wasn't dead; he was fine, thanks to Phantom, Leo was fine… "Oh my god, his…" Phantom flushed on Leo's behalf. She'd seen the blood… "What the…?" Fiera moved down and examined the blood. Phantom looked away. How could she do that without vomiting?

Phantom had been injured on Dimension X several times; his nail had ripped off when he fell off a cliff. He'd twisted his knee on the run. He'd broken a rib when a laser assaulted him. He'd chipped three teeth when a Kraang punched him. He'd dislocated his shoulder when he'd leapt to avoid a blast from a Technodrone and hit a tree. But he'd never seen anything like this. Yet Fiera handled it like she'd seen it all before: a play she'd rehearsed over and over.

She glared at Miles over her shoulder. He didn't look the least bit worried. "What have you done to him?!" Miles scoffed.

"My job, bi-"

"What does it mean?" Phantom interrupted. He gestured to Leo's bleeding rectum. Fiera said a word Phantom couldn't process. Sam had heard Kennedy mention it once- and even she had blushed. "W-what?"

"I thought you said you went to medical school?" Phantom shook.

"We did _not_ cover this!" Fiera lifted a brow.

"It's one of the first lessons: STD's and STI's." Phantom and Sam didn't know what those were.

"Then I was not paying attention," Phantom said. He hoped the others didn't notice his shaking; he was stronger and smarter then Miles, why was he so afraid? Fiera's expression softened.

"I don't blame you, it was pretty disturbing…" Shredder faced Miles, who looked ready to run for his life.

"Would you like to explain to me, Miles, how my only clue to my daughter is dying of a sexually transmitted disease?" It wasn't a question or an option. Miles frowned.

"I was trying to get the information out of him, I figured he'd crack eventually if-" Phantom tried to hide his smirk when Shredder struck his brother. "Hey, I was doing my job!"

"I sent you down here to get the information and keep him **alive** as **bait**! This is _my_ only way back to _my_ daughter, not your _**sex toy**_ **,** boy! You sick," Shredder spat the word Kennedy had nearly choked Miles for saying. Phantom gasped. "I may _never_ find my only daughter because you've _ass-fucked_ my only clue into oblivion **like a sick animal**!"

"But she's not even your daughter!" Xever and Bradford gasped. Shredder slapped Miles and kicked his groin three times.

"I should cut it off for this!" Miles wailed like a banshee.

Sam shook. He'd always wanted Miles to pay for his sick kicks, but… this was wrong. Not this. Phantom reached behind and under his cloak and grabbed the sachet of dried leaves he's used to heal in Dimension X. "Um… Shredder, sir?"

"WHAT?!" Sam gulped.

"I-uh…" Sam took a breath and slipped back into his Phantom persona. "I found these leaves and kept them… they heal things pretty quick." Phantom abruptly looked away and began smoothing a leaf onto Leo's bad eye. His relieved sigh echoed. Silence- except for Miles' whimpering and cursing- ensued as Phantom scattered other leaves around Leo's injuries: his plastron, his arms, two on his neck, one on his tongue which dissolved like a cough strip. He handed the last to Fiera. "I-uh…"

"It's okay, you're only my apprentice; I don't expect you to do that yet." she snapped a rubber glove on and shoved the leaf up and into Leo. It crunched and Leo squeaked and growled. The bleeding stopped instantly. Within minutes the leaves were dissolved and the injuries were reduced to scars. "Fascinating," Fiera said.

"Incredible," Shredder whispered. Phantom let his breath out. "Where in the world did you find these?" _nowhere._

"I… I don't really remember, sir. Just know it was in a forest somewhere…" Phantom stared at Leo's bad leg made worse; the only thing he couldn't heal. Leo was breathing heavily, but breathing nonetheless.

"Pittacus, I want you taking care of Leonardo from now on. I'm sure you won't do anything to put my chance at finding _my daughter_ in harm's way." Phantom shook his head.

"What?!" Miles roared. "I'm in charge of him!"

"Shut-up, boy!" Shredder spat.

"This ass-wipe doesn't deserve _my_ position," Miles raged and stomped towards Phantom. Shredder didn't try to stop him. "You're just filth, I earned this position!" Phantom arched a brow, fiddling with his fingers.

"You've also earned this…" Miles lifted a brow. Sam charged him. They hit the ground and Sam threw bullet punches at his brother's face and neck. "… you stupid little SON OF A BITCH!" Sam punched Miles' nose and blood exploded like fireworks. Miles howled and kneed Sam in the gut. Sam rolled away to catch his breath and slugged Miles in the neck when he was close enough. He charged and followed the steps to the oldest fighting routine Tigerclaw had ever taught him: _hook-kick the knees and jab the eyes, round-house the sides of the knees and punch the pelvis, punch the solar plexus and grab their neck tight enough to let them know you can choke them if you need to_. Sam held Miles off the ground by his neck. For a moment Sam treasured Miles' pure terror. He was kicking and thrashing and trembling, blood leaking from his mouth and gushing from his nose. Then Phantom dropped his brother and calmly walked back to Shredder, bowing. "I will get the information you crave, sir."

Miles was screaming obscenities and punching the walls behind Shredder's dojo. How _dare_ that stupid bastard take _his_ position? How _dare_ he?! Miles had _earned_ that spot, and Shredder was just going to give it away to some _random hobo_? "FUCK YOU!" Miles bellowed. He kicked the garbage bin and left a dent.

They never appreciated him and his talents, never knew how perfect his plan had been. Nothing could fuck up sanity like… that, just look at what happened to Sam: he'd been so lost without Miles, so desperate for his love… until that bastard Tigerclaw came around. Miles growled and kicked a pebble through a car window.

A little more and Leo would forget to hate it but know he should, and he'd cooperate and moan when it felt good despite himself, and he'd beg for more even though it would tear him apart. He'd lay on his back, legs spread eagle, cum leaking out his mouth, dick erect and spewing his need, moaning and crying and fighting himself, and Miles would be there to lick up whatever knowledge he spilled. Thinking about it got Miles hard and needy. He winced when his dick pushed against his plastron, straining for the only ass it'd ever want.

Something sharp struck the back of his head. Miles yelped and rolled away, standing in a ready position. His attacker emerged from the shadows, fangs bared, fists clenched. Miles relaxed and smirked. "Well, well, looks like Nemo's lost again." Xever growled and sprung. Miles dodged and tripped him. Xever landed on his face- ass up- and Miles grew harder.

"You sick bastard!"

"Ooo, is someone jealous?" his kick was a steel inferno. Miles gripped Xever's jaw and slammed him down. He grabbed his tail and swung him into the wall. It left cracks. Xever wasn't moving.

It grew harder still and throbbed, begged, and Miles winced. He couldn't wait. He needed release. And Xever wasn't moving.


	9. Chapter 9

TMNT The Glasses of Life

Book Two Chapter Nine

The air was fresh and calm in her room. The floor; however, was another story. Mel had become a bit lazy on her house chores since the turtles had showed up; her room was proof. She picked up a stray shirt and tossed it into her laundry basket, converting to a low block as she tossed. She moved her feet- a quarter moon stride, as she'd labelled it- and scooped up stray socks and panties and tossed them, punching them into the basket.

Mel growled; she hadn't been able to punch the bag yet today, her Sensei said she had to clean her house first. The guys had been generous enough to offer their assistance. Mel hadn't let Donnie help but the others were welcome to. So, that left her and Mikey, which had shocked her; Mikey was Mikey after all, since when did he clean? Then, maybe she didn't know as much about him as she'd thought.

Mel's head throbbed. The gash had healed alright but she still got dizzy if she stood too long. "Oh god," she looked at her ceiling, "please don't let me have a brain injury. God knows it's injured enough as it is; I'm talking to the freaking TMNT." The dizziness subsided and Mel sat cross-legged. "I don't even know anymore. I only know, when my mind is clear, and it's as cluttered as my room because I haven't gotten to punch the damn bag today…" Mel looked up. "Who am I talking to?" _why did I ask that out loud?_

Mel shrugged and cranked her CD player.

Flute and violin music flowed through the room. Mel took a breath. She'd been struggling with her bottled up rage and anxiety since she was nine- she'd discovered her problem when she was 16, watching TMNT, watching Raph scream at Spider Bytez. She remembered the realisation; it'd made her jump because the day before, she'd had a bad morning. Her cat had gotten out and been hit by a car- she'd seen his body on her walk to work. She'd bumped into someone and spilt her tea, which had deprived her body of the little caffeine it was used to every morning, which meant a headache. The customers had decided it was a good day to be bitchy.

Mel didn't remember exactly what had happened, but that bitch was never coming back to the book store. Her guidance counsellor had suggested therapy, but Mel knew better; _you go in with one problem and come out with ten_. A few days after, she'd noticed her Sensei- Wayne- hitting his reflex bag. He'd noticed her staring. "Do you wanna hit the bag, Mel?" one year and two weapons later; Mel's anger was a mere tingle. As far as stress went, she just didn't fuss over what she couldn't control. Alec had been on her about not taking the therapy. He'd said she wasn't a professional and re-directing her anger wasn't getting rid of it.

Mel wasn't trying to get rid of her anger; all she'd wanted to do was re-direct it. Besides, Alec wasn't a professional either, and she was closer to it than he'd ever be, being a psychologist in training after all. He'd only taken the class. He was an asshole when it came to "who knows what", an arrogant one at that. Mel had wanted to hit him on several occasions. Maybe if she had it would have helped him get his shit together.

Thinking about it wasn't helping Mel's mood. She needed to hit something. She groaned and turned on her vacuum. Their fighting had really started after Mel had nearly crippled Mr. Lawyer when he'd tried to make a move on her again. She'd texted Alec, swelling with pride, telling of how she'd put him in the hospital. The first thing Alec had said was:

"I told you to take the therapy, now do you see what's wrong with you?" Mel hadn't bothered to text him after; she'd deleted his contact information and gone to Wayne's house and knocked on his door (it was a little past 11 at night). He'd asked what she'd needed and she'd shown him the text. He'd sat on his porch while she beat the bag for the rest of the night. She sighed; Wayne was great: always there, always had good advice, and never berated her when she made a dumb mistake. Like the father she'd always wanted. Not needed. Definitely not. But she was glad he was there.

"Mel?" Mikey was at her doorway. Mel turned off the vacuum.

"Mm-hm?"

"I'm done." Mel leaned back to look over Mikey's shoulder and whistled.

"Damn, all you need is a sexy maid outfit and you could make a living off this." Mikey blushed and averted his eyes. Mel smiled. "Pardon me if I'm extra crude today, but I'm missing my therapy and I'm very cranky." Mikey arched a brow.

"You go to therapy?"

"Yes, it's called hitting the reflex bag. Since I can't do that till my house is clean, I resort to my second therapy: being a bitch." Mikey's blush deepened and he gulped. Mel held back a giggle. "Sorry, sorry, I forgot you don't like the swears." Mikey rubbed the back of his neck.

"Uh… do you have good advice for someone who might need therapy, but doesn't like to hit things?" Mel snorted.

"At first I thought you were talking about Raph. So, what happened?" Mikey fiddled with his fingers.

"Who said it was me?"

"Your face, your hands, your eyes, your… you." Mikey sighed. Mel couldn't help but slacken; he looked like someone shit on his pizza. "… Goddamn it, Mikey, stop looking so depressed, you're making me want to do something I vowed I'd _never_ do again!" Mikey glanced at her.

"Put me out of my misery?" Silence stretched on, too long for Mel.

"… No, hug you."

(***)

The walls were getting too big, and the air, too thick. He still couldn't move; 'Sam' had asked him very gently not to. Leo liked Sam.

Xever hadn't been down in a few days. But that was okay, Sam had told him, Xever was at peace. Leo missed Xever.

Keeper always came down, even though he wasn't supposed to. He mostly just glared at Leo from the corner. It still made him cry, because he remembered. Sometimes Keeper would slander over, all show, and sit right across from Leo, and smile. But it wasn't a smile; it was a warning, a message: _"I'm not done yet."_ Then Sam came down and made Keeper leave. Leo liked Sam.

"Oh, Leo." Leo opened his eyes, even though he could only see out of one. But he didn't need to see to know, and frankly, he wished he didn't know. "I thought, since it's no longer hands on, I'll just give you a show." Leo tensed; Keeper had talked about giving a show before, he'd threatened to do it to Karai, and Leo (despite his condition) had knocked him out.

No, he couldn't be… Karai was… not here. She wasn't here. She was… gone? Leo realised he had no idea where she was and glanced towards the voice.

Keeper threw a young woman to the ground. She had short black hair, long legs, a flat torso, and- Leo gulped- bruises and scratches scattered up and down her body. She was crying and trembling. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Leo knew she wasn't Karai; there was something missing… something… something. But god, she looked so familiar.

"What is… who…?" The girl looked at Leo then at Miles. "Who are you? Who's he?" she pointed a trembling finger at Leo. "What's going-!" Miles slapped her.

"Shut-up, whore!" Leo yanked against the chains, but they barely clinked. The girl looked at him with wide, glossy eyes. Gold eyes… like Karai… ' _Oh no… oh god, no…_ '

"N-no…" Leo winced; making noise hurt his throat, so, he tried not to. Miles pinned the girl's hands above her head and he glanced at Leo, grinning. The girl was screaming and struggling.

"You want me to stop, Baby Blue? Maybe you'll take her place… willingly?" Leo froze. He began to tremble. No… no he couldn't… Leo remembered the feelings, and he looked away and sobbed. No. He couldn't… but… if he didn't… "Suit yourself," Miles hissed. Leo gasped and struggled against his chains, to no avail. Miles laughed and slapped the girl again and began to tear her clothes- which wasn't much: bra and thong.

Leo trembled and cried as he watched the girl scream and sob and beg, and she sounded just like Karai.

"No, no, no, please!" Leo tried to breathe but his throat was clogged with guilt and he gagged.

"You like this, Leo?!" Leo whimpered.

"STOP!" the scream hurt Leo's ears. Miles pinned her the way he used to for Leo and dug his finger into her. "That hurts!" Leo wanted to vomit. He covered his mouth and curled against the wall, the wall that was too big, and hid his face and covered his ears. Miles said something he couldn't hear. Then rough fingers found his chin and Leo's gaze met furious jade eyes.

"Oh no you don't, you're going to watch and enjoy every fucking minute of this!"

"No!" Leo tried to pull his face away. Miles gripped tighter and made Leo look at what had tormented him for so long. Leo whimpered and more tears fell. He struggled against Miles' grip. "Stop, let me go, please!" the girl was screaming and crying. Leo stared with wide eyes and pale cheeks as Miles thrust into the girl and she wailed. "Stop, that hurts!"

"Shut the fuck up!" Leo grunted and tried to yank his head backwards. Miles pulled him towards his face and the chain dug into Leo's neck.

"STOP!" Miles relaxed and Leo saw why and he gagged. The girl was sobbing and gasping as Miles released her. She scurried to the corner and curled up, her sobs echoing throughout the dungeon. Miles didn't let go of Leo's jaw. Leo- at the moment- payed him no attention.

"K…ai…" _Karai_. _Karai_. Leo's lower lip trembled and he collapsed at Miles' knees and sobbed violently. _Karai… no, Karai…_ but it wasn't Karai… was it? It couldn't be. Something was missing. But she looked so familiar…

"You know what?" Miles said as he rounded Leo. "Fuck it," he grabbed Leo's hips, "they can beat me up if they want," he pinned Leo's legs, "I get what I want." Leo cried out when Miles entered him, but it was much less painful thanks to… Leo felt something inside him shatter. He saw his life play out like a movie in front of him; the time when Raph had chased him up the big tree, the time when his and the toaster's vendetta was born, his and Karai's first kiss… Leo smiled for the last time.

No one knew about it, not even Karai had known it. She'd been asleep, exhausted from the fight with Shredder back when… back when they lived on a lake. Leo didn't remember why they'd been on a lake.

Everyone had thought he was asleep. Karai's head had been on his shoulder, her lips slightly parted, her breathing soft. Leo had leaned in carefully and brushed his lips against her forehead. He remembered after a second Karai's mouth had twitched, and Leo had pulled away, afraid to wake her.

But now Karai was gone, and he was alone, alone with sore places and darkness. It was a metaphor, Leo realised. The walls, the chains, Keeper, it was all one big metaphor, it was his life. There was nothing but abuse and pain. Anything good was gone, naked, sobbing in the corner. An abyss opened beneath him and Leo fell. The darkness surrounded him, touched him, embraced him. Its greedy arms sucked the colour and life out of him. And Leo let it.

(***)

Karai tossed and turned on Mel's extra bed. She'd seen Leo… she'd _seen_ him and… tears threatened to spill. Karai held them back; Splinter was right next to her. She didn't want to sleep, if she did she'd have nightmares. Mel and Mikey hadn't gone to bed yet. Where were they? The memory of not knowing where Mikey was slugged Karai and she whimpered. She had to get up, had to move.

Karai squirmed out of Splinter's iron embrace and stumbled down stairs. She sat on the ledge of Mel's window and listened. Once she was certain no one could hear her, Karai curled up and cried.

Leo had been pale and sickly, covered in sores, gashes, scars, and… something white. _Miles…_ Karai dug her fingernails into her arms and bit her cheek. Some friend she was, much less a sister, and even less a partner. How could she have let him walk into that?! He sacrificed himself for her… and after all she'd done to him and his family… Karai uttered a shaky sigh.

She knew she'd never really be a part of Leo's family, even if she was Splinter's blood, but simply being Leo's friend, his partner, had been enough for her. So long as she had Leo and Kennedy, she'd get on fine. _Kennedy…_ she'd also sacrificed herself for Karai. And Karai had done very little to earn that. Besides helping clean up the lake house every now and then.

Karai smiled through her tears. That was where hers and Leo's friendship had blossomed and grown. And where they'd shared their first kiss, although, it had been a bit odd. Leo had thought she was asleep. She'd been conscious enough to know what he was doing. His face had been heavily flushed when he'd leaned towards her. His lips had been cool, but not ice cold, and they'd felt like leaves, smooth and a little bumpy, but Karai had found the texture soothing, like his presence.

"Karai?" Karai whipped her head around to find Donnie, twiddling his thumbs and staring at the ground. How long had he been there? "Um… are you alright?" Karai blinked. Donnie looked legitimately concerned. Karai sighed and shook her head. Donnie sat next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Karai didn't lean towards him, but welcomed his gesture. The silence crawled around the room.

"… He told me to take care of you." Karai glanced at Donnie with glossy eyes. "B-before he pushed me into the portal. He told me to take care of you…" Donnie gazed at Karai, who found herself leaning towards Donnie as his voice muted, "… and that he loves you."

Karai felt like she'd taken a sledge hammer to the heart. "…I should have said it back." She curled against Donnie's torso and hid her face. "I should have said it back- why didn't I say it back?!" The floodgates behind Karai's eyes burst.

Donnie had never been hugged so hard in his life; it knocked the wind out of him. April had hugged him before, sure, and cried too, but not like this. Karai's sobs made up in violence what they lacked in volume. _She must have had a lot of practice, crying quietly_. Donnie held her the way he'd always held April; however, April had always asked questions, and said things- in her state of pure melancholy- Donnie could easily shoot down and convince her otherwise. Karai wasn't saying anything. Only sobbing. So, all Donnie could really do was hold her.

Unbeknown to them, a shocked red head observed the scene quietly in the shadows.


	10. Chapter 10

TMNT The Glasses of Life

Book Two Chapter Ten

Raph knew he was awake. He knew even with his eyes closed, he was awake. The darkness was brighter than usual, naturally brighter, and the atmosphere was calm. Birds were singing, wind was whistling, and Mel was meditating. In the center of her floor. With her earbuds in. As usual. Needless to say she was dead to the world.

"Uhg…" Raph turned to his left to find Casey, sleeping like a bear. And snoring. Raph sighed. Mel had lent them her bed last night so they could have some alone time, which hadn't done any good; Casey hadn't been in the mood for anything. Raph sat up and Casey groaned. Once he was certain Casey was still asleep, Raph leaned over to place a gentle kiss on his temple, and noticed the plushy he clutched.

Mel had several plushies of him and his brothers, her biggest ones, Leo and Raph, she would sometimes use as pillows. She'd used her Leo as a pillow when she'd slept on the couch last night.

Casey nuzzled the stuffy and smiled. Raph blushed.

(***)

"Okay, let me get this straight," Mel said, "We need to get back to your guys' dimension and you need us and our crazy-ass powers to help you fight the Kraang?" Quinn stared intently while Wayne leaned against her banister, near the Christmas tree. _Only a few more days…_

"Precisely," said Donnie. Mel and Quinn looked at each other.

"How we gonna do that?" Quinn asked. Donnie shrugged.

"I was hoping… since this script," Donnie held up paper he claimed was written in 'Kraang' "doesn't make much sense, you three would have an idea…" Mel sighed.

"Did you land on your head when you fell?" Donnie growled under his breath. His wrist was healing funny, but, as Mel had stated several times; she wasn't a doctor. "Dude, we didn't even know you guys existed… which is-once again-awesome." Mel pointed to herself, "still in shock." Donnie couldn't help it; he smiled.

Despite her crude persona, Mel was cute. Not in a way that he liked her, but, in a way that she was still a kid in her head: a 19 year old ten year old. Quinn nodded at Mel.

"Mel… uh, you're not the only one still in shock," said Wayne. Mel glanced at her Sensei, soft worry in her eyes.

"You're not crazy and old, Sensei, I see them too." Wayne sighed.

"I'm only 38, Mel."

Mel smiled, "yeah, yeah, I know."

Splinter scowled at them. How could that man let this rude child talk to him like that? She was his student; she wouldn't know anything without him! What gave her the right?

 _Vrrt! Vrrt!_

"Hmm?" Mel lifted her phone and skimmed the tiny screen. Her phone was the old flip type. "Aw, sweet!" Mel turned to the group. "There's a saaaaaaale!" everyone arched their brows, except Quinn.

"Ooo, where?!"

"The exclusive store for poor people!" Donnie blinked. Quinn gasped.

"Blue Notes!" Mel saw Karai flinch at the mention of 'blue', but decided not to call her out by "noticing".

"Correct! Now you other humans can stop wearing _my_ clothes." Karai, Casey, and April looked at their garbs, which all belonged to Mel. "C'mon, the store is right next to my house, I just have to grab some cash…"

"Uh, Mel, aren't you forgetting something?" Wayne asked, motioning to a very annoyed Splinter. Mel didn't pay attention.

"Sensei, this is Christmas for the poor! If I must give these poor souls-" she motioned at Karai and the others- "something to wear, I want it to be "fashionable", as the kids are saying." Wayne smiled and shook his head, to the annoyance of Splinter.

"Okay, but you owe me 20 knuckle push-ups, sit ups, and squats when you get back."

"… will they be front kick squats?"

"Of course."

"Sweet!"

(***)

The trip had been awkward to say the least, considering what they'd needed to do in order for Karai, April, and Casey to try on the clothes… at least they'd all fit the first time. Mel had shown them the café in the book store, and they'd stopped for a bit, Mel ordering to-go.

Karai was tentatively sipping her hot chocolate as she walked around the cattail pit, enjoying the scenery now that she wasn't suffering of hypothermia (at least that was how Mel had put it). She'd never guessed hot chocolate could be so comforting… or wearing her own clothes. Mel was right; the store was exclusive for poor people, T-shirts costed $10.99 for god's sake.

But, Karai couldn't argue that the shirts were funny, as Mel's new "This is my Tea-Shirt" proved. Karai had always preferred sweaters, because they were the closest thing she'd had to a hug.

Mel was on the swing, swaying, casually sipping her tea and nodding to In This Moment's Blood. The song always reminded Mel of the first time she'd… done it, as crude and saddening as it was. _Well, what can I do? I'm a dirty, dirty girl_ , Mel sang without sound. She sighed and let the tunes carry her…

Karai felt something tickle the back of her mind, then, she was in Mel's art room, the one with the painting of all her brothers on the wall. Life-sized paintings, on her wall. Karai only went down there at night, when no one could hear her cry. But she wasn't alone, there was Mel! She was… on her couch. In very little clothing. Karai gulped. Somehow, she knew where this was going.

Enter, Alec.

 _I love you for everything you ever took from me,_

 _I love the way you dominate and you violate me,_

 _I love you for every time you gave up on me,_

 _I love you for the way you look when you lie to me,_

 _Oh god_. Karai knew this song:

 _Blood, blood, blood,_

 _Pump mud through my veins,_

 _I'm a dirty, dirty girl,_

 _I want it filthy._

She shuttered and looked away from the duo, but no matter where she looked, even when she closed her eyes, they were all she could see, all she could hear. She wasn't disgusted so much as uncomfortable. Mel was nice about keeping this kind of thing to herself most of the time, but… well, when she did hint at it, it was short and crude. This was definitely crude, but it droned on and on. As the song climaxed, well…

Karai noted the dead look on Mel's face as the vision faded with the song.


	11. Chapter 11

TMNT The Glasses of Life

Chapter 11 Book Two

Phantom took a deep breath. His shoulders and back ached from carrying so many supplies up and down those goddamn stairs. Leo was a lot of work without Xever around… Phantom shook his head.

This was too much; Leo needed to escape or he was going to die. Which meant Phantom had to escape as well. "Well, it's not like we'll be missed." With that, Phantom stalked towards the dungeon, ascending the thousands of stairs slowly so he could think.

"No, no, no…" Phantom stopped in mid-step and glanced up. "No, no, no…" _What the…?_ Phantom picked up his pace. "No, no…" it was definitely Leo; the voice was a strangled rasp. But what was he talking about? And more importantly, _why_ was he talking? Leo barely blinked anymore, let alone spoke.

"Leo?" Phantom asked gently when he reached the bottom.

"Ssssaammmmm…" Phantom scanned the dungeon (a forceful habit); he and Leo were alone.

Phantom approached Leo and knelt in front of him. "What's wrong? Why are you talking?" he had to maintain his intimidating presence for the surveillance cameras. He wasn't worried about Leo using his actual name; since Leo was barely audible in person let alone on a crappy camera.

Leo turned his head and Phantom tensed. Sam stared in horror. White slush seeped from his mouth and he coughed it with a mixture of blood. Phantom and Sam growled. "Miles…"

"I don't… want this… anymore…" Phantom stared at Leo as he scratched his arms and twitched as if he were having a seizure. "I want to go home, Sam…" Leo's wide eyes glistened in the dim light. "I… I want to… go home…" Phantom nodded as he stared at the only light source in the dungeon; a small window about 20ft high.

"I'll take you home, Leo. Just hold on…" Phantom retrieved five Shurikens from his bag (concealed by his cape) and hurled them at all the hidden cameras. After a satisfactory _ptsss_ from the cameras; Phantom broke the chain keeping Leo attached at the neck, hulled Leo onto his shoulder, and dashed towards the little window.

Phantom leapt and barely grasped the ledge. He grunted and threw Leo onto the ledge, who groaned when he flopped on his gut. "Hold on, Leo, this is going to get pretty uncomfortable…" after a few seconds of squirming, Phantom pushed himself out the little window, and—after hauling Leo over his shoulder again—let go of the ledge. He landed with a roll, and dashed away from the hellhole that had shattered the blue clad leader while angry voices rose behind him.

(***)

"UNACCEPTABLE!" Miles sat in silence as Shredder bellowed and spat. The security guards hadn't gotten to him in time when 'Pittacus' had thrown the Shurikens. But, Miles wasn't completely bitter towards the escape, he'd been right, and that alone was enough to cool his vile mood: The Phantom was a traitor.

Kraang had filled him in, and he'd tried to settle the score on his own, but damn, Phantom was too strong. Not in skill, Miles often said, but just in brute strength. Like a gorilla. About as attractive as one, too. He'd considered telling Shredder, but after the bastard had fired him, well… losing Leo was a small price to pay for this sweet revenge. "Why didn't any of you notice this earlier? How did that traitor get past you?!" Miles, once he was certain Shredder wasn't looking, rolled his eyes and stared into space.

One thing he remembered from that bitch, Kennedy, was her tutoring. He'd never been good at English class, so, Kennedy had thought him every Tuesday after school. Simple things like sentence structure and Literary Devices. Rhetorical Questions, Metaphors, and others. He couldn't forget them even if he wanted to. Shredder had asked a rhetorical question. How they had not noticed was simple: Phantom was good at what he did. "Miles!"

Miles shook himself awake and bobbed his head in apology. "I asked; why wasn't this brought to my attention sooner?!"

Miles dared to glance at Shredder. "Sir?"

"That this turtle is a Kraang outlaw!" Shredder was looming above Miles, who gulped but forced himself to be calm.

"I thought it obvious." Miles blinked; when had he learned to talk like a Shakespeare character?

Shredder grabbed him by the collar and pulled him towards his face. "Obvious?!" Miles, instead of yelling, merely nodded. Shredder slammed him down. "What stupidity made you think that?" Miles, knowing very well Shredder intended to make him pay for speaking in such a manor, rose, dusted himself off, and said:

"The leaves." Whatever rage Shredder felt was immediately halved.

"The leaves?" Shredder asked. The rage returned. "What about the damn leaves?!"

"The ones 'Pittacus' used to heal Leo. I've never seen or heard of leaves on this planet that do that, have you?" Shredder was silent. "Aliens aren't exactly new to us, Master Shredder, wouldn't it make sense that they be from a place weird as Dimension X? There's no way he got them on Earth." Shredder was in quiet thought. Miles pounced on the opportunity. "And all his other little sachets. I don't know what it was…" Miles recalled the odd substance he'd found in the one Phantom had dropped. "… but judging by the one I saw, they probably weren't from this planet either." Shredder was staring.

Miles reached behind himself and retrieved a small baggie, containing a bit of the pink powder he'd found in the forgotten sachet. Shredder snatched it and examined it in the light.

Miles glanced out the windows and sighed. What had he gotten himself into? Shredder had seemed in control at first, but… damn, he was just a mess! So weak. How could he have been so stupid as to let himself love? Miles knew love was just a fantasy, make-belief like Santa Clause. No… more like god.

Lots of people believed in god, lots still did. Lots of people believed in love, lots still did. But only the ones that actually thought things through knew the truth about both; they were just comfort items, like childhood blankets. Something to make people feel that they weren't as useless as they were, that they could do something, be someone. Miles had given up his blanket long ago; he'd grown up. The world would continue to spin regardless of him and his life; it was about time others learned to accept the truth as he had. No one, nothing mattered, it never did. And it never would.

(***)

Mel placed her tablet on top of her hoodie and sighed. She scrunched as many undergarments beside them as she could. The minute they arrived in the other Dimension, Mel knew her worst fear would become a reality, and despite her logical side knowing it was inescapable, she wanted to postpone it as long as possible. Fighting Shredder didn't even compare to how scared she'd been on her first job interview, and now she'd have to do it again. Great.

Mel shook her head; did she have everything? She stepped back and ran over her list: _summer, spring, winter, and autumn clothes, ye ol' unmentionables, toiletries, pillow, blanket, tablet and charger, books, guitar, amp, wraps, knives, water bottle, bag of apples, bag of assorted nuts, mini cooler with yogurt, left over steak, pork, chicken, and rice, and a stock of broccoli, and, of course, my nightlight because I'm a baby and I might need it_. It never ceased to amaze Mel, how many things she could fit in one bag. Well, one bag and a guitar case.

Mel had told Quinn to pack all the food she could fit into Mel's larger cooler bag when she'd shown up that morning. The morning after Christmas. It had been sad—to say the least—the morning of. Mel had had to dig through her mother's closet to find all her presents; it had been like a game of "How Many Empty Wine Boxes can we fit in Here?"

Mel had eventually found all her gifts. Mostly clothes and junk food. She'd let the guys have as much as they'd wanted, considering she didn't eat junk food. Unless it was ice cream. April had liked some of the clothes Mel had opened, so, Mel let her have them, since she wouldn't wear them anyway. There was the movie she'd wanted, and the shinobi shozoko, but Mel had bought those for herself. Once she put her gifts in her bag, she growled and grabbed her Jo, slung her giant bag over her shoulder, and headed downstairs.

"Do you have everything? You're packing a little light," Donnie said sarcastically.

Mel rolled her eyes. "I'm packing smart; you never know what could happen." She chose not to mention the amp she was trudging along.

"Yeah," Quinn chimed from the kitchen, "you're gonna thank her when we get lost in an inter-dimensional storm and we brought lots of food." After staring for a while, Mel brushed off the statement and retrieved her First-Aid kit.

"Seriously? We're ninjas, Mel," Raph said and laughed. It was forced.

"It's for Quinn. I can't leave her alone, or she breaks herself." Quinn giggled and nodded. Mel kept a smile on for Quinn, but she knew why everyone was in a rotten mood. If what she'd heard was really him… and what she'd seen… had she really seen it? Or had Karai shown it to her? Or had she shown it to Karai without seeing it then Karai showed it to her? _Uhg, why is ESP so complicated?_

A knock snapped Mel back to reality. She opened the door and Wayne stepped inside and shut the door behind him. "Sheesh, you look like you committed a murder." Wayne laughed and handed Mel a black bag that looked under packed compared to Mel. Mel immediately knew what it was and gasped. "Are these…?"

"Yep. I figure if we really are going to a cartoon Dimension to fight, we may as well have weapons, right?" Mel grinned.

"Does that mean…?" Mel nudged him and lifted her brows. Wayne nodded.

"I brought your favourites."

"Yes!" Mel hugged the bag and handed Wayne her First-Aid kit. They approached the group. "So, how's this gonna work, guys?"

Donnie, despite his overwhelming curiosity about Mel's bag, cleared his throat and spoke: "Well, you three need to connect with April, then that combined with the Kraang teleporter I have should be enough power to get us back."

"We need to connect with April?" Wayne asked. Donnie nodded.

"Spiritually," Mel clarified, "but, more importantly, you had a teleporter this _whole time_?". Donnie nodded again and retrieved the tiny device.

"It doesn't work unless you all use your powers to connect with it."

"How do we do that?" Quinn asked while dragging the cooler bag towards the group. Mel hauled the bag onto her other shoulder and smiled.

"With meditation." Quinn's expression fell. Mel pat her shoulder. "Hey, remember the techniques I taught you and you'll do fine." Quinn nodded.

"Budo?" Mel nodded. "Okay. So, does our spiritual energy charge the portal, Donnie?"

Donnie, who had been thinking how on Earth Quinn knew Budo when she was only 11, shook himself out of his thoughts. "I-it should. That's what the Kraang script said." Donnie retrieved the Kraang script from his belt and read it over as best he could. "Uh… I think…"

"Teleport… for… that…" Donnie glanced at Mel; she'd leaned her head to the side and was staring at the paper. "Which… is… kno- oh! Haha, it says Teleportation for That Which is Known as a Dummy." Mel and Quinn laughed. Wayne chuckled. Donnie stared with wide eyes, but Karai asked for him.

"You can read that?"

"Yeah, it's HTTYD Script." Karai arched a brow.

"How to Train Your Dragon," Quinn clarified, "it's a movie. I can sorta read it too, but I'm not as good as Mel." Mel took the paper and carefully read it.

"When I write the rough copies of my stories, I write them in this script so no one but me can read them," she said. "I'd get sent to a mental hospital if anyone could."

Karai gave an airy laugh. "I wouldn't doubt it."

Quinn was looking at Karai. She was different then the show… quieter than Quinn had expected. More sad, too. Mel had told her that Karai was very upset, but she'd never really said why. Although, Quinn assumed she felt guilty, like in the episode where she learned the truth, except extreme. Mel had also added that Karai and Leo were "a thing". Quinn didn't really care, let them be happy, but it wouldn't change her opinion, even if _Mel_ and Karai became a thing. Quinn still didn't trust Karai. But she did pity her.

"Okay, I see," Mel muttered. Quinn looked at her. She was stone-faced, as usual, but her eyes said: _Aw, crud_. "See, it says 'the teleporter is the energy of the ones', we don't charge the portal; we _are_ the portal." The others arched a brow. Quinn shuddered. She sucked at meditation; how was she going to _be_ a portal?

"You're sure?" Karai asked. Quinn hated to admit it, but Karai was a lot prettier in person then on the show, too. "I mean, Donatello was studying those sheets for a long time, and… well, you know, he's a genius." Mel laughed, and noticed Donnie blushing at Karai's compliment, and April scowling at Karai from behind.

"Yeah, but I learned it a fun way. And he's a math and science genius, I'm a word and art SORCERER." Mel grinned and waved her arms like magic wands.

"I'll back her up on that," Wayne said, "you should see the stuff she thinks of. It's awesome." He pat Mel's head and smiled warmly. Mel giggled.

"How do you know this is the actual script you're referring to, and you're not remembering it wrong?" April remarked. Mel arched a brow.

"Really? You're asking the girl who can quote you a movie she hasn't seen since she was five if she's remembering right?" April rolled her eyes. Mel shrugged. "Here." She handed April a sheet of paper. The writing was faded, but April could see scribbles above each letter of the alphabet. "That's my cheat sheet for the script. Now, look at the Kraang script thingy, and tell me you can't read it with that sheet." April growled. Sure enough, the sheet made every word legible: _The Teleport complex, need The One of Pure Knowledge, The One of Pure Innocence, The One of Pure Insight, to connect with The One. Teleport is power of The One, The One of…_

"Okay, yes, I can read it," she grumbled and shoved the sheet at Mel. "Doesn't mean it's right," she muttered. Mel smiled, something April had come to hate. Not because it was ugly or pretty, but because it was _genuine_. How could she be happy at a time like this? Leo was held by The Shredder, the Kraang were hunting them down, her father was… god knew where. April knew these events didn't directly affect Mel, but her mother was _in jail_! How could she not visit the woman?! Much less not be even remotely upset about it?

"Okay then, shall we try?" Mel smiled again.

"I'll try," Quinn mumbled.

"Okay, let's all hold hands now, I get the feeling it'll help you not get left behind." Mel sat, cross legged, and closed her eyes. One by one, they followed suit, only focusing on their breathing, and thoughts of home, feeling slightly foolish.

Mel and Wayne were spaced out in no time. April tried to focus on her breathing, but she kept thinking of Mel and her stupid genuine smile. She had no right to be happy at this time, it was just… so disrespectful. Something tickled the back of her mind. April took a breath and concentrated, exhaled, and let her subconscious take over, and Mel's living room became The Realm.

The Realm of the Subconscious was a mystical place, made up of pastel clouds and a dull sky. April turned to spot Wayne looking around the realm like it was the most awe-inspiring thing he'd ever seen. "You get used to it after a while," April spat and walked past him to search for Mel and Quinn.

Mel wasn't hard to find; she was kneeling in front of a struggling Quinn, telling her to concentrate. "C'mon, Quinn, just breath, remember the technique."

"I-I-I-I-B-but-I-but…" Quinn's voice was broken due to her lack of concentration.

"Oy," Mel muttered. April watched as Mel relaxed and started to hum random notes. Quinn's figure began to fill. A flash, then Quinn was before them, on her hands and knees, panting. "Yeah! That's the way to do it, Quinndelin!"

"Uhg… I hate meditation." Mel smiled—again with the smiling?!—and hauled Quinn to her feet.

"Well, it's not gonna work if I have to keep dragging you into a trance."

April rolled her eyes. "So, I suppose the Kraang script said what to do next?" Mel made the so-so gesture with her hand.

"All it really said was to use our powers in the best way we can. Based on what I've seen on the show, I'm thinking that's your Psychic Flash thing you do, Quinn, that's your innocence, Sensei, your knowledge, and my insight—because I am neither knowledgeable nor innocent. Question is: how do we put those things to use…?" Mel stroked her chin and thought.

When ESP was put to use, it affected everyone differently because of their unique experiences, some saw future, some saw past, some saw through lies, some saw thoughts. Each power developed through metaphors, things people were good at or passionate about, art, or mathematical equations, for example. "Hm, since ESP is developed through personal experiences, it is shown through 'Psychic Metaphors' of one's own passions, so, we can use our powers by-"

"By doing whatever our powers are personified as," Wayne said. Mel nodded.

"Right. So, for you, that's Karate, probably. Just do a kata or two." Wayne nodded. "And you, Quinn, no one questions anything better than you."

"What?" April asked.

"She thinks about everything that happens. This conversation is being dissected as we speak," Mel said and pointed to Quinn, who was indeed in deep thought. Mel snapped in her face. "So, look at that puff of smoke over there," Mel pointed to an air-born pink cloud, "and try to figure out where it came from." Quinn nodded—half awake—and stared at the puff. "Okay, that leaves me…" while Mel thought about it, she hummed. "Well, it's not my writing, I don't have my tablet, not my painting, I don't have my canvas…" she sang the debate. Then she gasped. "Duh." After doing some slow movements (blocks and strikes), started to sing:

"Namida koborete mo, tachimukatte yukooze! Hitasura seiya soiya tatakau-nda, kobushi o motto kokoro o motto, zenbu zenbu togisumashite." April had no idea what Mel was saying, but The Realm was reacting, pulsing and vibrating, even humming back a little. "Mada mada seiya soiya tatakau-nda, kanashiku natte tachiagare-naku natte mo." The realm exploded with vibrant, pulsing colours, and then, in a voice like static on an old radio:

 _Ahh, ossu, ossu!_ A mighty guitar solo filled The Realm. April had no idea where it was coming from, but it was _loud_ , so loud it rocked The Realm like an earthquake. Nevertheless, she focused on her power and focused on her surrounding area.

"Kokoro orarete mo,"

 _Ossu._

"Tachimukatte yukooze!" the air in The Realm was growing heavy.

"Hitasura seiya soiya tatakau-nda, kobushi o motto, kokoro o motto, zenbu zenbu togisumashite."

 _Wo'oo wo'oo wo'oo._

"Mada mada seiya soiya tatakau-nda, kanashiku natte, tachiagare-naku natte mo."

Everything stopped: no sound except some echoing piano. April tried to keep her focus on her power, engulfing the area around her in her Psychic Flash, inch by inch.

 _Wo'oo wo'oo wo'oo…  
Wo'oo wo'oo wo'oo._

What… what was that?

"Seiya soiya tatakau-nda,"

 _Wo'oo wo'oo wo'oo._

"zenbu zenbu togisumashite."

 _Wo'oo wo'oo wo'oo._

The sound repeated, getting progressively louder. A thought hit April: was The Realm getting this music from Mel's brain, from her memories?

"Hitasura seiya soiya tatakau-nda, kobushi o motto, kokoro o motto, zenbu zenbu togisumashite."

 _Wo'oo wo'oo wo'oo._

"Mada mada seiya soiya tatakau-nda, kanashiku natte, tachiagare-naku natte mo." The Realm was lighting up again, more intense than last time. April could _feel_ the adrenaline coursing through Mel as she sang. "Hashire!"

 _Seiya soiya tatakau-nda_

 _Wo'oo wo'oo wo'oo._

"Hashire!" neon lights became the sound, and it collided with April's Psychic Flash, resulting in a sticky mess of shockwaves and pillars of neon light. April opened her eyes. Quinn and Wayne were glowing within the mess, then, she noticed she was glowing as well. She didn't feel anything, yet the glow grew brighter by the second.

 _Zenbu zenbu togisumashite._

Finally, when The Realm stopped singing with Mel, she began to glow, but, her glow was tinted blue. April looked at herself again and realised her glow was tinted auburn. Wayne's was a brownish-purple. Quinn's was still white. April realised she couldn't feel her lower half. As her light crawled up her body, she became more and more numb. Until it reached her mouth and nose, and she couldn't breathe. It covered her eyes just as the others, Donnie, Splinter, etc. started to appear. Confused and worried faces were the last things she saw.


	12. Chapter 12

TMNT The Glasses of Life

Book Two Chapter 12

The sewers smelt much worse than Mel had predicted. She'd been certain waking up to the stench of vomit every morning would have killed her nose, but after one puff of her surroundings, she'd almost wanted to go back to smelling the barf. Nevertheless, Mel and Quinn were freaking out throughout the trip.

"We are going to the lair. We're going to the freaking lair!"

"This isn't a dream, right?"

"I don't know. Here, punch me; punch me right in the gut!" Quinn slugged Mel and she gasped. "N-nope… not a dream. I felt that." Mel exhaled and nudged Quinn with one of her bags. "Damn, you're getting pretty good at that, Quinn." The girls laughed and continued to babble, Mel ignoring a snipe from Splinter to watch her language.

Wayne was panicking internally. This was impossible… yet it was happening. Or was it? Hallucinations were usually very vivid… at least, that was what Mel had told him: she'd researched hallucinations for a project in college. But she seemed to believe it was real… and, it wasn't proven that several people could have the same hallucination, since the scientific community still didn't consider ESP, mind connection, "science". Plus, there was no reason for him to hallucinate; he was perfectly sane… as far as the world went, anyway.

Wayne sighed and kept pace with Mel. If reality really had gone crazy, why couldn't he?

(***)

The first thing Mikey thought when he saw the lair was: tornado zone. Rubble and dust coated everything, which set off Donnie's allergies the minute he entered. Raph cursed—which Splinter hastily assumed was Mel—after he stubbed his toe on a severed Kraang Droid arm. Casey then kicked it and muttered: "Trash everywhere…"

Mikey immediately ran to the freezer and flung the door open, and sighed in relief when Ice-cream Kitty mewed at the sight of him. "Hey, Kitty. Sorry I've been gone so long," Mikey said and scooped up the mutant, showering it in kisses. "I missed you."

"Mraw!" Mikey laughed and set the cat back.

"Oh my god, Mel! Ice-cream Kitty!" Mikey whipped his head to the side to find Quinn standing in the doorway, staring with wide eyes at the cat.

"Oh my god, yes! Let me at her!" Mikey had never seen Mel run so fast. Kitty pawed at Mikey, asking permission for the extra attention. Mikey smiled.

"Hehe, careful when you pick her up, she's slippery." Mikey handed Quinn the cat, and Quinn gasped.

"She feels so weird!" Kitty meowed and pawed at Quinn's nose. Mel, who had set the bags down by the door, pet the cat and gasped, then laughed.

"Whoa, that's so cool! She's like a hairless cat, but cold." Mel arched a brow. "Wait… she is." She laughed. Mikey shrugged and gave a slanted smile. Mel pet Kitty's head. "I didn't expect her to feel so… normal." Kitty meowed at Mel. Mel meowed back. Kitty stared at Mel like she was god. Mel laughed and mimicked her expression. "Human said "meow". She understands my language!" She and Quinn laughed and Mikey laughed with them.

"Mel!" the trio glanced at where Donnie's voice had come from. "I have a job for you."

"Does it involve math?" Mikey could tell Donnie was rolling his eyes.

"… No."

"Be right there!" Mel left in a rush and Mikey, after stuffing Kitty into one of the coolers, followed.

(***)

It took Mel awhile, but she eventually de-coded the Kraang Script painted on the doors of Donnie's lab. "Follow the trail of trash, and you will reach me at last." Mel scoffed. "Oh great, now it's talking in rhyme and riddle."

While the others mauled over what it could mean, Quinn was hopping to either side of a pile of Droid parts. How many times could she jump without touching any? Only one way to find out. Eight, nine, ten, 11, 12, 13, 14… Quinn sighed. It was too easy. When she landed on her 20th, she decided to try it with one foot. 22, 23, 24, 25, 26… it was sort of like a Skip-it, except she had to jump much higher. 30, 31, 32, 33, 34…

 _Clang!_

Quinn stopped and bent over with her hands on her knees. 42. Not bad. When Quinn looked up, she saw that the pile stretched further down the dark hallway. She cocked her head and followed the trail. The hall was much bigger than it looked on TV. And more narrow. And dark. Quinn forced herself to be calm and kept walking. The trail slithered forward, perfectly straight. How was it possible for debris to land like this? Quinn froze. It wasn't.

 _Klonk! Clang!_

Quinn gasped, almost yelped, but it got stuck in her throat, and ran back the way she'd come. "Mel!" Quinn aimed for the first figure she saw and plowed them.

"Oomf! Jesus, Quinn, what?!" Quinn glanced up. Mel was staring, hands on her hips. Quinn was hugging her leg.

"It-it made noise." Mel arched a brow and pursed her lips.

"What, my stomach?" Quinn laughed, forgetting the fear.

"No, the… parts." Quinn pointed to the trail of Kraang Droid limbs. Mel gasped.

"Of course! The trail of trash! Duh." She face-palmed. "Wow, I'm an idiot, even Jones figured it out before I did." It took Quinn a moment to recalled Casey calling the parts trash earlier. Mel began to trot, "c'mon, let's go!"

(***)

"So… why were you down here, again?" Raph asked Quinn. She hadn't liked Raph on the show, mostly because he was mean.

"I was jumping," she muttered, pointing at the parts. "I wanted to see how many I could get without touching it." Raph nodded.

"Ah. How many did you get?" Quinn hesitated. He was different in person, too. Maybe, like Karai, he would be nicer.

"42." Raph whistled.

"Nice! Wow, I see why Mel brags about you." Quinn lifted a brow. He was trying _way_ too hard to be nice. Then again, he didn't know her very well, didn't know she was past the pointless flattery level of childhood. That was why she liked Mel so much, she didn't sugar-coat anything; she would tell Quinn if she could do better, but she wouldn't force her to.

Quinn shrugged. "I could have gotten 50."

"Oh, hello, door, how are the kids?" Mel asked. Quinn and Raph looked at Mel, who was following the trail, which led to a doorway.

"That's Leonardo's room," Splinter whispered. Donnie was wide-eyed and pale, as was Karai. Once she managed to squeeze herself and her bags inside, Mel arched a brow and frowned.

"He's really let this place go." The only things not broken were the walls. The rubble of what Mel assumed was a table was scattered all over the floor, as well as everything else that once stood. Mel noticed a part of the floor with a peculiar amount of rubble. She approached and kicked the debris away, the bags almost pulling her backwards. There sat a metal hatch, with blinking lights and a small screen.

"That wasn't there before," Mikey said.

Mel dropped her bags, squatted in front of it, and noticed words crawling across the screen: _Password: "_ is _, _ is a _, but _ is a _: that is why it is _ the _."_ Of course, it was in script, so Mel had to stare at it for a while, but once she understood, she gasped. "Oh my god, Kung-Fu Panda!" the hatch buzzed and it made her jump.

"Kung-Fu what?" Splinter asked.

"It's another movie," Quinn clarified. Mel paid them no attention. She got on her knees and leaned towards the hatch.

"What are you doing?" Karai asked. Mel ignored her and leaned until she was hovering over the door.

"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift, that is why it is called the present." The door dinged and slowly slid open. Mel looked at everyone before giving a nod, a lopsided grin, and then, after wrestling her bags down the hatch, she scaled the rusty latter.

(***)

Karai was shaking like a bald cat in the snow. The hole was pitch black, and she'd slipped twice on her way down. The tunnel was narrow, so they had to travel in single file, and she had bumped into the ones in front and behind her several times. She couldn't remember which of her brothers were where.

As if trying to prove her point, she bumped into the one in front of her again. "S-sorry," she whispered.

"It's okay," he assured. She still couldn't tell who it was.

Karai sighed. Despite common belief, she'd never liked the dark, especially when she was young; that was when Shredder used to stage 'surprise attacks' to teach her to react in an 'emergency'. Part of her always thought he'd just wanted to scare her. _It worked_ , she thought bitterly.

The space around her began to show itself. "Light up ahead," Mel whispered. A few muttered "thank god" and "finally". Karai exhaled and tried to keep up without tripping. The light crawled towards them and eventually they emerged from the tunnel. Karai, once her eyes adjusted, looked at the shell in front of her and spotted the tails of a red, chewed up bandana.

"Wow," Quinn whispered. Karai glanced ahead and felt the same awe caress her heart. The room was silver and sparkling, and in the center, there was a square pool, and a waterfall cascading into it. What amazed Karai was that the water was clean. And come to think, so was the rest of the room.

"It's so beautiful," Mikey whispered.

"Damn, Leo's been holding out on you guys," Mel announced and set her bags down so she could twirl.

Karai remembered what Donnie told her Leo had said before Miles had taken him, and all joy immediately left her mind. She had to find him; she had to get him back so she could tell him… what the hell was she going to tell him?!

"You guys?!" Karai and the others shot their heads up. A turtle, large and agile, stared at them from one of the rafters. "Y-you're actually back!" the turtle leapt and landed right in front of Karai. She was immediately yanked backwards and Donnie stepped in front of her, staff at his ready. His brothers joined him. The turtle looked taken aback. "Wh-wait, what are you-?"

"Stay back! Who are you?!" Raph growled.

"I would also like to know that," Mel announced and stepped forward. "I don't recognise you."

"Mel, get back," Raph hissed. Wayne looked mildly concerned. Quinn shared Mel's curiosity. Mel ignored them and stared at the turtle, who shrugged.

"I don't recognise you either, miss." He turned to the others. "Guys, it's me, Sam."

(***)

"So, you're actually still a kid?" Mel inquired. She'd set her bags in what Sam had called the wreck room. She'd opted to keep her Jo and knife on her. Sam nodded.

"Yep. Time goes really fast in Dimension X, I think I'm still 12." Mel whistled.

"I can't believe you actually survived in Dimension X," Donnie uttered.

Sam grinned. "Sensei taught me well." He sighed and glanced at the floor.

"So many Sensei's," Mel breathed. Sam chuckled and looked and Mel.

"So… you're The One of Pure Insight, huh?" Mel shrugged.

"I guess so. I had to use the process of elimination." Sam nodded. "This little rascal," Mel hooked her arm around Quinn, who squealed, "Is our innocence, and he," Mel flicked her chin towards Wayne, "is our knowledge." Wayne nodded.

"So that means you were able to figure out how to use your Gifts to get back here."

"Uh… sure?"

Sam sighed; this was going to be tougher then he'd have liked. "Gifts are your powers, mine is Sensor-Taker. I have… well, I can see and manipulate aura." This perked the interest of the two girls. The smaller one looked at the older one.

"Like a Lucario," she whispered. Sam didn't know what she meant, but the older girl made a face like it was a brilliant observation.

"Yeah, like that… does that make me a Meloetta?" the little girl grinned—which emphasised her dimples—and then asked:

"What am I?"

"Wooper," the older one said without hesitation. She smirked. The younger one seemed angry for a second, then Sam saw her eyes flash and she accepted the title.

Sam cleared his throat. "So how did you all get back here?"

"Awkwardly," the older girl said, and stared him down with her toxic, purple eyes. Sam waited and she half-smiled, half-scoffed. "Sensei did a Kata, April did her little Psychic Flash thingy-"

"-It's _not_ a thingy," April growled.

"… Quinn questioned the existence of a cloud, and I sung."

Whatever Sam was about to say—his expression suggested something along the lines of "Your brain; how does it function?"—was interrupted by a high-pitched wail. It pierced Mel's ears like that shriek she'd endured back at her house… in fact, it was scary similar. "What—on this alien-covered Earth—is that?!" she looked at Sam to find him with his eyes closed, head down, like someone had told him a dead baby joke.

The screaming went on four more times, then, dead silence. It took everyone a moment to recover. "Wh-what was that…?" Karai asked and held her temples. Everyone turned their shocked eyes to her, since she hadn't spoken since arriving, nothing but uttering an occasional "sorry…" for bumping into her brothers. Sam bit his lip, analysing, Mel could practically see the ones and zeros climbing his eyes. Finally, he sighed.

"That… was… um… Leo."

Every face went blank. Karai couldn't help it; she glanced in the direction of the former wails, now, only quiet whimpers. Leo was here? As in, here? He—he'd escaped? He was here, right across the hall? For the first time in a while, Karai smiled. Faint, dull, but heartfelt.

"Don't get too excited," Sam muttered, and Karai's happiness died as quickly as it was born. "He's not himself."

"Yeah, the unearthly yowl kinda clued me in," Mel spat. Karai reddened and glanced down. It should have clued her in, not Mel; Mel and Leo hadn't even met.

"Why'd he scream?" This came from Mikey.

"He probably saw something," Sam muttered. The way he said it, Mel and Karai knew he hadn't meant something like a bat or a spider.

"My son is screaming in another room. You didn't think to tell me he was in there?" Splinter was trying, and failing, to sound calm and firm. He sounded ready to slap the boy. Sam didn't even flinch.

"No." Splinter's ears flattened.

"May I ask why?" Karai knew Splinter—her father, she constantly reminded herself—gave others false authority when he was angry.

"Because I knew you'd want to see him. Leo doesn't want to see anyone at this point; I can barely keep him calm when I go see him."

"Ah yes, because you and Leonardo were such _wonderful_ friends, if he doesn't want to see _you_ , why would he ever want to see his father and brothers," Splinter glanced at Karai before adding, "and sister."

Sam fumed. "First off, we're much better friends than you're insinuating," Karai also knew Sam used bigger words when he was angry, "going through hell together can really bond two guys at the hip." Karai took a shaky breath.

"Sam…?" Sam turned slowly. "Did-did Shredder capture you, too?" Sam gave a gentle smile and shook his head.

"No, Karai, he didn't even know it was, me, me, the Kraang don't even know I'm me, me. They all just think I'm The Phantom." Another screech, only one, but it was powerful enough to make a few stumble over air. Sam barely flinched, but he did sadden.

Splinter stomped around Sam and into the other room. This seemed to scare Sam more than any of the screaming. "Splinter, no!" they ran after him, and found him standing a few feet from Leonardo, frozen in horror.

Leo was sickly; he was covered in bandages that were hanging off and completely insecure, like a mummy. Cuts, bruises, and scars littered his frail body. A particularly ugly scar hung from his brow, over his right eye, down to the corner of his mouth. His skin was a sickly shade of olive and dried leaf. Without his gear, he looked naked, and judging by the way he was laying, scrunched in a fetal position but not in his shell, he felt that way too. He whimpered like a stray puppy. Karai wanted nothing more than to kneel next to him and hold him and let him cry into her shoulder. She would have approached if Mel hadn't clothes-lined her.

"No!" she whispered. Karai took a moment to rouse herself. "Something's not right, something is very, very not right." Karai recoiled: was Mel afraid? In the short month she'd known the girl, Karai had never seen her show fear.

"Why not?" Mel only shook her head.

"I have a feeling, a really serious, bad feeling. Don't." Karai gulped and stepped back.

"Me too," Quinn whispered.

That confirmation deeply worried Sam. "Splinter, get back here," he hissed.

"Me too," murmured April.

"Same here," Wayne said. Karai realised that Leo hadn't noticed any of them. He hadn't responded to anyone's voice. If Karai didn't know any better, she'd think he was ignoring them.

"I'm serious, Splinter, you do not know how damaged he is," Sam hissed and motioned for Splinter to come back, "he doesn't need or want the extra pressure." Splinter's eyes flared and he glared daggers at the 22-year-old 12-year-old.

"He is _my_ son. I _will_ speak to him." Finally, Sam sighed and raised his hands in surrender. To the crowd, he said:

"Which of you can take a few hits?"

Mel asked for everyone: "Uh, why?"

"Because someone's going to have to intervene. Leo will fight." Splinter was moving before anyone could ask.

Sam scowled as Splinter walked right up to Leonardo—not bending down so Leo could see his face—and said: "Leonardo," Leo's head jolted up, and only Sam, Karai, and Mel saw his eyes widen in what Mel would describe as icy horror, "it is us, we've come back, my son—!"

Leo's fist was a green lightning bolt, and it made Splinter's head snap to the side. He stumbled and Leo kicked him where Mel assumed was his solar plexus. Splinter barely blocked the next few hits. "Wh-what… Le-Leonardo, stop this at once!" If Leo had heard him, he showed no sign of it. Instead, he screeched and clawed at his rat-father.

Karai barely made it out when he'd screamed, because his voice was such a raspy whisper, but he'd been saying words, not just screaming. He'd said: "Leave me alone."

"Whoa-ho-ho," Mel mused, clearly entertained by the brawl. "I never thought Leo would be the first one to swing at Splinter." Leo kicked Splinter's knee. It had been locked. _Snap!_ Splinter collapsed and growled, almost yelled. Mel was no longer amused. Someone was tugging at her shirt. Mel glanced at Quinn. There were tears in her eyes.

"Mel, do something!" Mel sighed and looked to Wayne.

"Sensei, may I?" she only asked to ensure he thought she could handle that type of combat, being only a white belt. Wayne shrugged.

"I won't let 'em hurt ya." Mel nodded and proceeded into the battle arena, catching a quiet 'be careful' from Karai. Leo was choking Splinter, and Mel could see the rabid bloodlust all over his face. Mel grabbed Leo's face, ensuring her fingers dug into his eyes, and threw him to her right.

She looked into his eyes when he got up, and her toxic, violet orbs stunned him. "That's enough. No one needs to get hurt today, Leo." She noticed him perk at his name. She decided to roll with that. "Chill, Leo, okay?" She took a tentative step towards him. "No one down here is going to hurt you, Leo." She put a finger to her chin. "Unless, of course, you hurt us first. But I highly doubt you would purposefully do that, right, Leo?" whatever attention Leo had paid her was being replaced by fear. Mel stepped backwards and dropped her hands to her sides. "It's alright."

"No…" Mel nearly jumped. His first voice shift had taken her time to adjust, but this, this tortured, strangled rasp… it would take her a while to connect such a sound to Leo's usual soothing, deep voice. "I-I-it… no." The bloodlust was back. Mel blocked him when he rammed her, but damn, even when he was so frail, he had at least twice her strength. "No!" he roared.

"Yes!" Mel roared back. Well, what else was she going to say?

"NO!"

"Maybe!" Mel remembered Splinter and quickly bent her knees. Just in time, because Leo's foot connected. It only took eight pounds of pressure to break a kneecap when it was locked.

Mel wondered from the way his other leg quaked under his weight if it was still broken. Or sprained or whatever it had been. She shoved Leo and he collapsed under the weight, gripping his leg. Mel exhaled. "Still hurts, eh? Guess that spiritual 'pain is all in the mind' bullshit didn't do squat."

Leo lunged at her again, weaker this time. Mel side-stepped him, while thinking, _this is way easier than it should be_. Leo was panting with his hands on his knees. Mel took the opportunity to roll her shoulder since holding Leo back so unexpectedly had strained it a little. Leo's kick, a sidekick, Mel recalled, hit her temple. She swayed, but remembered the few drunken style techniques Wayne had shown her, and was able to avoid getting hit again. "Sheesh, you never quit." That time he slugged her right on the mouth. Mel spit a mixture of saliva and blood. It didn't really hurt; it was rather numb. She could have kept going, no problem, but Leo had stopped attacking, stopped screaming. Mel glanced up to find Karai standing in front of her, arms at her defence. But the trembles and panting gave her fear away.

"Leo, stop." Her voice was oddly even. Determined not to let anyone get too depressed, Mel snorted, dusted herself off, and said:

"I was getting to that."

Leo seemed completely shell-shocked. He was staring at Karai, and his eyes, once Mel saw past the shock and confusion, were so loving and tender, Mel nearly wept. He was staring at Karai like she was his long-lost angel. He smiled, so small it was barely there, then looked worried. He approached Karai slowly, like she was a baby bird and he was trying not to startle her. Mel knew Karai was scared, but she didn't move. Mel stayed right behind her.

"Karai…" his whisper was so quiet, so cautious, that Mel was certain only she and Karai had heard it.

"Miwa, be careful," Splinter warned.

Leo was very close to Karai. He was lifting his arm towards her face. Splinter looked about ready to pounce, but Sam held him back.

"Don't worry, he won't hurt Karai." Mel noted the flash in Sam's eyes, like he'd known something and kept it and was glorying in the forbidden knowledge. Leo looked like he was going to touch Karai's cheek, but he was trembling. Mel could see him arguing with himself, should he touch her, should he back away? Love, or fear?

Mel could sense Karai's fear building, not from Leo, Mel knew that, but Karai was scared of something. Karai stiffened and so did Leo. Mel had been a third wheel before, it had never bugged her, but this was a showdown, two people in love—Mel hated that phrase because it was overused, but nothing applied more—one, afraid of what he may do (Mel didn't know why or how, but she knew that was why Leo was hesitating), and the other afraid of… it hit Mel like a fist, afraid of what she couldn't do.

Karai whispered to Leo. Mel couldn't hear what she was saying. Karai wanted to hold Leo, Mel could sense it, she wanted to comfort him, be there for him, and tell him… something. She didn't know. Mel knew; Karai just was too scared to admit it to herself.

Leo's lips moved, sound came out, but Mel didn't hear what he said. If he'd said anything. His eyes were almost wide enough to pop out of his head, and Mel could trace every bloody vein that had been aggravated by constant tears. She was with him when he cried, directly beside him, and she was feeling the misery, the hopelessness, the… oh, god, what was that? It… hurt.

Mel gasped and shuddered, banishing the feelings, especially the last one. What was that?

"The connection," Sam whispered.

Mel was trying to decide what to make of… whatever that had been. _Calm down, you're not helping Leo and Karai…_ Mel looked at them in time to catch Leo's expression changing from a quiet smile to loud panic again. But this time, the panic stayed. He started backing away. His lip was quivering and he was shaking, not just the fear shaking, sheer horror, a full _too-many-things-going-on-I-can't-handle-this_ panic attack.

Karai was staring at him, begging with her eyes for him not to go. But he didn't stop backing up. He hit the wall and looked away, hugged himself, bit his lip, and quietly sobbed. He went on for what felt like hours.

Mel hadn't realised that she was alone. She stared at Leo a while longer. God, she'd never wanted to hug anyone so badly. Leo looked at the floor and heaved a heavy sob. Mel almost wanted to join him; she felt like she could sense their feelings, Leo's and Karai's, and it was a type of soul-crushing sadness that she couldn't cure with her therapy. Deciding that Quinn and maybe Karai would need her after… that, Mel stumbled out the little room, stopping at the doorway to take in an odd mark at the side.

While she examined the crack—a claw mark was a more accurate analogy—she heard Leo sobbing, the only real word being "Karai" over, and over, and over again. She heard him slide down the wall. She decided that she should probably leave. As one foot left the room, she heard Leo mutter a hollow, strained, yet, somehow hopeful "I love you."


End file.
